N. Fanaj, Kosovo

Mental Health Center Prizren QSHM
Associate Professor Naim Fanaj is Director of the Mental Health Center in Prizren, Kosovo and professor at College of Medical Sciences Rezonanca, Prishtina. He completed his doctorate in Psychology at the European University of Tirana in Tirana, Albania. He has presented many researches as author and co-authors in many World / European congresses of Psychiatry & Psychology. He has published several papers in international scientific journals. In 2020 he published the scientific monography HANDBOOK OF STUDIES ON MENTAL HEALTH IN KOSOVO. He is the coordinator and lead researcher for Kosovo in the IMPLEMENTALL and MENTUPP project, within Horizon 2020.

Presenter of 1 Presentation

Oral Communications (ID 1110) AS07. COVID-19 and related topics

O058 - Suicidality measured by PHQ-9 in Kosovo during the COVID-19 Outbreak

Date
Sat, 10.04.2021
Session Time
07:00 - 21:00
Room
On Demand
Lecture Time
15:48 - 16:00
Presenter

ABSTRACT

Introduction

As a consequence of the impact of COVID-19 there are suggestions and projections that suicide rates will rise, although this is not inevitable. It is intriguing what impact it will have on Kosovo as a country with the lowest suicide rate in Europe.

Objectives

The objective of this study was to understand the level of suicidal thinking as a result of the COVID-19 situation and possible associations with sociodemographic variables.

Methods

It’s a comparative study. We examined data of two cross-sectional online surveys conducted during the one-month periods 20.03.20 until 23.04.20 and 27.04.2020 until 05.06.2020. The participants were online respondents, N = 194 (first period) and N = 155 (second period); who completed the Albanian version of PHQ-9. We used the statement number 9 of questionnaire indicative of suicide.

Results

Mean score of suicidal thinking resulted 0.58 (SD = .98) in the first period and 0.84 (SD = 1.16) in the second period. 10.1% of participants in March/April and 18.2% in May/June period scored that almost every day thoughts that would be better off dead, or of hurting yourself in some way. Significantly higher suicidal thinking resulted for females and for respondents who had previously had depression in both periods. Compared to two previous studies (2018 and 2019) in different settings only the results of the second period show an increase in suicidal thinking.

Conclusions

Further studies are needed to better scientifically elaborate these findings. It is important enhanced surveillance of COVID-19-related risk factors contributing to suicidal behaviors and timely preventive efforts.

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