Papers by Shukrije Statovci
This study aimed to analyze treatment guidelines of 12 SEE countries to identify non-pharmacologi... more This study aimed to analyze treatment guidelines of 12 SEE countries to identify non-pharmacological interventions recommended for schizophrenia, explore the evidence base supporting recommendations, and assess the implementation of recommended interventions. Desk and content analysis were employed to analyze the guidelines. Experts were surveyed across the 12 countries to assess availability of non-pharmacological treatments in leading mental health institutions, staff training, and inclusion in the official service price list. Most SEE countries have published treatment guidelines for schizophrenia focused on pharmacotherapy. Nine countries
PLOS Global Public Health
Kosovo has the lowest life expectancy in the Western Balkans, where cardiovascular disease (CVD) ... more Kosovo has the lowest life expectancy in the Western Balkans, where cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for over half of all deaths. Depression also contributes to disability in the country, with a prevalence of moderate to severe symptoms reported as high as 42% in the general population. Although the mechanisms are not yet well understood, evidence suggests that depression is an independent risk factor for CVD. Our study assessed the prospective association between depressive symptoms and blood pressure (BP)-related outcomes among primary healthcare users in Kosovo to understand the role of BP in the relationship between depression and CVD. We included 648 primary healthcare users from the KOSCO study. The presence of depressive symptoms was defined as moderate to very severe depressive symptoms (DASS-21 depressive symptoms score ≥14). Multivariable censored regression models assessed prospective associations between baseline depressive symptoms and changes in systolic and diast...
Frontiers in Public Health
ObjectivesKosovo has the lowest life expectancy in the Balkans. Primary healthcare (PHC) plays an... more ObjectivesKosovo has the lowest life expectancy in the Balkans. Primary healthcare (PHC) plays an essential role in non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention. We described primary, secondary and tertiary prevention indicators in Kosovo and assessed their association with depressive symptoms.MethodsPHC users (n = 977) from the Kosovo NCD cohort baseline study were included. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Depressive Anxiety Stress Scale-21. Cross-sectional associations between depressive symptoms and prevention indicators were quantified with mixed logistic regression models.ResultsPoor nutrition (85%), physical inactivity (70%), obesity (53%), and smoking (21%) were common NCD risk factors. Many cases of hypertension (19%), diabetes (16%) and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) (45%) remained undetected by a PHC professional. Uncontrolled hypertension (28%), diabetes (79%), and COPD (76%) were also common. Depressive symptoms were positively associated with phys...
European Journal of Public Health
Background The COVID-19 pandemic has created a very large workload burden on health systems world... more Background The COVID-19 pandemic has created a very large workload burden on health systems worldwide, Kosovo is no exception to this trend. A pandemic may have a negative impact on health care workers’ (HCWs) mental health. In this cross-sectional study, we assessed the self-reported prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression and identified their predictive factors among HCWs in Kosovo. Methods Data were collected on sociodemographics (sex, age, occupation, education, workplace) and the presence and severity of depression, anxiety, and stress through the 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) online questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and linear logistic regression were used to analyze the data. Results Of the 545 respondents, the majority were male (53.0%), under 60 years of age (94.7%), and married (81.7%). Most of them were physicians (78.2%), while the remaining respondents were nurses, midwives, and other health professionals (22%). The prevalen...
European Psychiatry, 2012
BACKGROUND The efficient response and containment of a pandemic within resource- and movement-con... more BACKGROUND The efficient response and containment of a pandemic within resource- and movement-constrained contexts may have a negative impact on mental health. Regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, assessing the prevalence of mental health problems and identifying risk and protection factors among health care workers may help design specific programs that will promote the wellbeing of health care workers and sustain health care service delivery. OBJECTIVE This study assessed the self-reported prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression and identified their risk and protective factors among health care workers registered in the Kosovo Medical and Nursing Chambers. METHODS An online cross-sectional survey collected demographic, work, and health data and clinical characteristics using validated tools (self-reported stress, anxiety, and depression). Descriptive statistics and t test analyses were used to compare the clinical characteristics of physicians, nurses and other professional work...
Schizophrenia
This study aimed to analyze treatment guidelines of 12 SEE countries to identify non-pharmacologi... more This study aimed to analyze treatment guidelines of 12 SEE countries to identify non-pharmacological interventions recommended for schizophrenia, explore the evidence base supporting recommendations, and assess the implementation of recommended interventions. Desk and content analysis were employed to analyze the guidelines. Experts were surveyed across the 12 countries to assess availability of non-pharmacological treatments in leading mental health institutions, staff training, and inclusion in the official service price list. Most SEE countries have published treatment guidelines for schizophrenia focused on pharmacotherapy. Nine countries—Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia—included non-pharmacological interventions. The remaining three countries—Kosovo (UN Resolution), Romania, and Slovenia—have not published such treatment guidelines, however they are on offer in leading institutions. The median number of...
International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 2021
Background: Non-pharmacological treatment for schizophrenia includes educational, psychotherapeut... more Background: Non-pharmacological treatment for schizophrenia includes educational, psychotherapeutic, social, and physical interventions. Despite growing importance of these interventions in the holistic treatment of individuals with schizophrenia, very little is known about their availability in South-East European countries (SEE). Objective: To explore mental health care experts’ opinions of the availability of non-pharmacological treatment for people with schizophrenia in SEE. Methods: An online survey containing 11 questions was completed by one mental health expert from each of the following SEE countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo†, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia. Data were collected on estimated rates of received non-pharmacological interventions, type of services delivering these interventions, and expert views of availability barriers. Results: In eight countries, the estimated percentage of ...
Psychiatry: Interpersonal and Biological Processes, 2005
This study describes the effects of a psychoeducational multiple-family group program for familie... more This study describes the effects of a psychoeducational multiple-family group program for families of people with severe mental illness in post-war Kosovo that was developed by a Kosovar-American professional collaborative. The subjects were 30 families of people with severe mental illnesses living in two cities in Kosovo. All subjects participated in multiple-family groups and received family home visits. The program documented medication compliance, number of psychiatric hospitalizations, family mental health services use, and several other characteristics, for the year prior to the groups and the first year of the groups. The families attended an average of 5.5 (out of 7) groups, and 93% of these families attended four or more
BACKGROUND The efficient response and containment of a pandemic within resource- and movement-con... more BACKGROUND The efficient response and containment of a pandemic within resource- and movement-constrained contexts may have a negative impact on mental health. Regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, assessing the prevalence of mental health problems and identifying risk and protection factors among health care workers may help design specific programs that will promote the wellbeing of health care workers and sustain health care service delivery. OBJECTIVE This study assessed the self-reported prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression and identified their risk and protective factors among health care workers registered in the Kosovo Medical and Nursing Chambers. METHODS An online cross-sectional survey collected demographic, work, and health data and clinical characteristics using validated tools (self-reported stress, anxiety, and depression). Descriptive statistics and t test analyses were used to compare the clinical characteristics of physicians, nurses and other professional work...
This study describes the effects of a psychoeducational multiple–family group pro-gram for famili... more This study describes the effects of a psychoeducational multiple–family group pro-gram for families of people with severe mental illness in post–war Kosovo that was developed by a Kosovar–American professional collaborative. The subjects were 30 families of people with severe mental illnesses living in two cities in Kosovo. All subjects participated in multiple–family groups and received family home visits. The program documented medication compliance, number of psychiatric hospital-izations, family mental health services use, and several other characteristics, for the year prior to the groups and the first year of the groups. The families attended an
International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 2021
Background: Non-pharmacological treatment for schizophrenia includes educational, psychotherapeut... more Background: Non-pharmacological treatment for schizophrenia includes educational, psychotherapeutic, social, and physical interventions. Despite growing importance of these interventions in the holistic treatment of individuals with schizophrenia, very little is known about their availability in SouthEast European countries (SEE). Objective: To explore mental health care experts' opinions of the availability of non-pharmacological treatment for people with schizophrenia in SEE. Methods: An online survey containing 11 questions was completed by one mental health expert from each of the following SEE countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia. Data were collected on estimated rates of received nonpharmacological interventions, type of services delivering these interventions, and expert views of availability barriers. Results: In eight countries, the estimated percentage of...
Introduction With the lowest life expectancy in the Balkans, underlying causes of morbidity in Ko... more Introduction With the lowest life expectancy in the Balkans, underlying causes of morbidity in Kosovo remain unclear due to limited epidemiological evidence. The goal of this cohort is to contribute epidemiological evidence for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases such as depression, hypertension, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease in Kosovo as the basis for policy and decision-making, with a spotlight on the relationships between non-experimental primary healthcare (PHC) interventions and lifestyle changes as well as between depression and the course of blood pressure. Methods and analysis PHC users aged 40 years and above were recruited consecutively between March and October 2019 from 12 main family medicine centres across Kosovo. The data collected through interviews and health examinations included: sociodemographic characteristics, social and environmental factors, comorbidities, health system, lifestyle, psychological factors and clinical attributes (...
SAGE Open
This study aims to examine the factor structure and validity of the Albanian TAS-20 (Toronto Alex... more This study aims to examine the factor structure and validity of the Albanian TAS-20 (Toronto Alexithymia Scale) using a sample comprised of 342 students and 196 patients from a psychiatric clinic. Based on a literature review of studies of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), three types of models were tested: first-order models with method factors and covariances, a second-order model with method factors and covariances, and nested models with method factors and covariances. The findings suggest that a three-factor correlated model with method factors was the best and most parsimonious solution for the clinical sample, exhibiting adequate levels of performance based on the goodness of fit criteria. However, regarding the student sample, the nested three-factor model with method factors and covariances demonstrated a superior fit when compared with the other tested models. Although the total scale of difficulty identifying feelings (DIF) and difficulty describing feelings (DDF) score...
SAGE Open
This study aims to examine the factor structure and validity of the Albanian TAS-20 (Toronto Alex... more This study aims to examine the factor structure and validity of the Albanian TAS-20 (Toronto Alexithymia Scale) using a sample comprised of 342 students and 196 patients from a psychiatric clinic. Based on a literature review of studies of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), three types of models were tested: first-order models with method factors and covariances, a second-order model with method factors and covariances, and nested models with method factors and covariances. The findings suggest that a three-factor correlated model with method factors was the best and most parsimonious solution for the clinical sample, exhibiting adequate levels of performance based on the goodness of fit criteria. However, regarding the student sample, the nested three-factor model with method factors and covariances demonstrated a superior fit when compared with the other tested models. Although the total scale of difficulty identifying feelings (DIF) and difficulty describing feelings (DDF) score...
This study describes the effects of a psychoeducational multiple–family group program for familie... more This study describes the effects of a psychoeducational multiple–family group program for families of people with severe mental illness in post–war Kosovo that was developed by a Kosovar–American professional collaborative. The subjects were 30 families of people with severe mental illnesses living in two cities in Kosovo. All subjects participated in multiple–family groups and received family home visits. The program documented medication compliance, number of psychiatric hospitalizations , family mental health services use, and several other characteristics, for the year prior to the groups and the first year of the groups. The families attended an average of 5.5 (out of 7) groups, and 93% of these families attended four or more meetings. The uncontrolled pre- to post–intervention comparison demonstrated decreases in medication non–compliance and hospitalizations, and increases in family mental health service use.
Objective Despite the fact that personality disorders are fairly common in the population and the... more Objective Despite the fact that personality disorders are fairly common in the population and the needs of these individuals for short hospitalization are necessary is concluded that certain number of them requires hospitalization. Our objective is to estimate level of utilization hospital services by people with personality disorder in our clinic Methods It is a retrospective study analyzing all cases referred and hospitalized persons with personality disorder diagnosis in Psychiatric Clinic at University Clinical Center of Kosovo. Information’s are collected from admission protocols; from history of illness are registered referral reasons, social demographic data’s (gender, age, place of residence, schooling, level of education, type of personality disorder, etc. Results In fourteen months in our Clinic were admitted 53 cases, from which 29 female (55%) and 24 males (45%). It seems that at the age of 35 and above, the hospitalizations are more frequent, since almost about two thir...
European Psychiatry, 2013
ABSTRACT I. Introduction : It is distinctive for Kosovo population that before the war of 1999 Ko... more ABSTRACT I. Introduction : It is distinctive for Kosovo population that before the war of 1999 Kosovo has had the lowest rate of suicides in Europe. Now, after the war the data and findings tell us for a considerate increase of number of suicides. II. Objectives Presentation of suicide cases in Kosovo in period from 2008-2012 analyzed from aspect of social reasons that has influenced an increasing number. III. Aims Identification of social factors and their possible direct/indirect impact in phenomena of suicides and as well the reflection in their prevention. IV. Methods Data on cases were collected retroactively, by the Internal Affairs of Kosovo, Psychiatry Clinic University Hospital of Prishtina, Medical Mental Health Centers and Regional Hospital. Analysis of data was done with Excel and SPSS 14. V. Results In the period 2008-2012, 270 persons were found to have committed suicide. Coefficient of suicides in 1980 was 1.3 and in last decade has been increased and now is calculated to 3.17. This has been increased especially after the war. In current situation we have more cases that come to the expression social factors: unemployment level (44.9%), low income per capita, the population on average 26 years old, enormous growth of drug users and alcohol (20.000), low budget for mental health, dominance in rural settlements, debt, domestic violence, inability to buy drugs, inability of the education of the children, war trauma / PTSD, large number of people who are missing their family members after the recent war in Kosovo (8 cases). VI. Conclusion Based on data’s collected was found that dominates male gender in 67% and mostly persons that has been diagnosed and treated on the level of 78 %. Prevail persons that are living in cities, unemployed, young age of population. This is related to the social aspect primarily with unemployment, as well as difficult situation in family including drugs abusing. Higher number in this case has to deal with unmarried group that is related to the fact of age group, where main impact has unemployment and psychiatric disorder that has been diagnosed. The number of suicide cases has increased. Social factors play a major role in this. References: Kosovo Agency of Statistics –ASK, Prishtina, Republic of Kosovo Data base system of Psychiatric Clinic 2008-2012, University Clinical Center of Kosovo, Republic of Kosovo Data base system of Mental Health Center’s and Regional Hospitals in Republic of Kosovo Prof. Dr. Arif Birinxhiku, Doctorate dissertation “Socio-Psychiatric study of the frequency and causes of suicides in Kosovo 1980-1985” University of Prishtina, Medical Faculty, 1987 September General Directorate of Police, Office for Public Information and Relations with public, Pristina, Kosovo, January 2013, Ministry of Health in Republic of Kosovo, Strategy for preventing suicides in youth in Kosovo 2008-2010, October 2007, Pristina, Waldinger ,Robert J., Psychiatry ,Copyright c 1997 Muacevic ,V. and co-authors , (1955) Psychiatry , Medicinska Naklada, Zagreb
Psychiatry: …, Jan 1, 2005
This study describes the effects of a psychoeducational multiple-family group program for familie... more This study describes the effects of a psychoeducational multiple-family group program for families of people with severe mental illness in post-war Kosovo that was developed by a Kosovar-American professional collaborative. The subjects were 30 families of people with severe mental illnesses living in two cities in Kosovo. All subjects participated in multiple-family groups and received family home visits. The program documented medication compliance, number of psychiatric hospitalizations, family mental health services use, and several other characteristics, for the year prior to the groups and the first year of the groups. The families attended an average of 5.5 (out of 7) groups, and 93% of these families attended four or more Psychiatry 68(1) Spring 2005 17 Stevan Weine, MD, and Ivan Pavkovic, MD are affiliated with the International Center on Responses to Catastrophes,
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Papers by Shukrije Statovci