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Mental health problems in Kosovar adolescents: results from a national mental health survey

Psychische Gesundheitsprobleme bei Kosovarischen Jugendlichen: Ergebnisse aus einem nationalen Survey zur psychischen Gesundheit

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Summary

Purpose

Our purpose was to determine the effects of gender and age on Kosovar YSR scores and the prevalence of self-reported behavioral/emotional problems in Kosovar adolescents based on scores above a cutpoint.

Methods

Participants were 1351 adolescents recruited from secondary schools in seven regions of Kosova who completed the Youth Self-Report.

Results

The oldest adolescents had the highest scores on many YSR scales. Although Kosova’s mean problems scores were not elevated relative to international norms, the percentage of adolescents scoring in the deviant range (borderline + clinical) was much higher than expected for almost all YSR problem scales, including Total Problems (31.2 %), Internalizing (40.8 %), and Externalizing (23.4 %). The 23 % prevalence of elevated scores on Stress Problems was triple the expected 7 % prevalence based on a 93rd percentile cutpoint.

Conclusion

Results revealed much higher prevalence of psychopathology than would be expected based on international norms, with 25–40 % of Kosovar adolescents scoring in the deviant range on YSR scales, Thus, our research indicates a need for expanding psychiatry services to meet the pressing mental health needs of Kosovar adolescents as well as the importance of considering mental health problems in their social context.

Zusammenfassung

Fragestellung

Der Zweck der vorliegenden Studie war, den Einfluss von Geschlecht und Alter auf die Scores des „Youth-Self-Report“ Fragebogens (YSR) bei Jugendlichen im Kosovo zu untersuchen und auf diese Weise die Prävalenz subjektiv berichteter psychischer Probleme zu erfassen.

Methodik

1351 Jugendliche mittlerer und höherer Schulen in sieben Regionen des Kosovo wurden mittels des „Youth-Self-Report“ Fragebogens untersucht.

Ergebnisse

Die ältesten Jugendlichen zeigten in vielen YSR-Skalen die höchsten Werte. Obwohl die mittleren Problem-Scores im Kosovo nicht höher als die internationalen Normen waren, war der prozentuelle Anteil der Jugendlichen, die über den Cut-Off-Werten lagen, in nahezu allen Problembereichen höher als erwartet. Dies traf auch für die Gesamtprobleme (31,2 %), Internalisieren (40,8 %) und Externalisieren (23,4 %) zu. Die in der vorliegenden Studie gefundene Prävalenz von 23 % für erhöhte Stressprobleme ist das Dreifache der zu erwartenden Prävalenz von 7 % (basierend auf dem 93-Perzentil-Grenzwert).

Schlussfolgerungen

Die Prävalenz psychopathologischer Auffälligkeiten war deutlich höher als aufgrund internationaler Daten zu erwarten gewesen wäre. Insgesamt zeigten 25–40 % des Jugendlichen im Kosovo Werte über dem Cut-Off in den YSR-Skalen. Die vorliegende Studie zeigt also den Bedarf an einer Ausweitung Kinder- und Jugend-psychiatrischer Dienste und Einrichtungen im Kosovo. Die Ergebnisse sind außerdem ein Hinweis, wie wichtig es ist, den sozialen Kontext psychischer Probleme zu berücksichtigen.

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Conflict of Interest

M. Shahini, L. Rescorla, J. Wancata, and A. Adelina declare that there are no actual or potential conflicts of interest in relation to this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Clinical Center of Kosova, 10000, Prishtine, Kosove

    Mimoza Shahini PhD & Adelina Ahmeti MD

  2. Department of Psychology, Bryn Mawr College, 101 N. Merion, Avenue, 19010, Bryn Mawr, PA, USA

    Leslie Rescorla

  3. Klinische Abteilung für Sozialpsychiatrie, Univ.-Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Medizinische Universität Wien, Allgemeines Krankenhaus der Stadt Wien, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria

    Johannes Wancata

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  1. Mimoza Shahini PhD
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  2. Leslie Rescorla
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  4. Adelina Ahmeti MD
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Correspondence to Mimoza Shahini PhD.

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Shahini, M., Rescorla, L., Wancata, J. et al. Mental health problems in Kosovar adolescents: results from a national mental health survey. Neuropsychiatr 29, 125–132 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40211-015-0155-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40211-015-0155-9

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