Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.24869/psyd.2021.95

DEPRESSION MEASURED BY PHQ-9 IN KOSOVO DURING THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK: AN ONLINE SURVEY

Naim Fanaj orcid.org/0000-0001-7375-643X ; Mental Health Center Prizren, Prizren, Kosovo; College of Medical Sciences Rezonanca, Prishtina, Kosovo
Sevim Mustafa ; Mental Health Center Prizren, Prizren, Kosovo

Abstract

Background: There are reports from countries and in the scientific literature that COVID-19 affect also mental health worldwide. The aim of this study was to understand the level of depression as a result of the COVID-19 situation and possible associations with sociodemographic variables.
Subjects and methods: It’s a cross-sectional study. The participants were 155 respondents recruited online in the period 27.04.2020 until 05.06.2020, who completed the Albanian version of PHQ-9.
Results: Mean score of depression resulted 10.94 (SD=9.22). 63% of participants agreed that the situation has worsened their psychological state; 35.6% had a mild to severe form of depression and 18.7% had minimal symptoms. 13.4% of participants saw iCBT as helpful, 16.8% a little while 65.8% wanted to try it. Significantly higher depression resulted for females and age group 18 to 24 years. No significant differences by levels of education, marital status, employment, socio-economic status and by expectations regarding iCBT. Gender and perception of worsened psychological state showed predictive abilities for depression.
Conclusion: The situation with Covid-19 has increased depression levels especially among females and 18 to 24 years old and thus expectations for e-psychotherapy. Online treatments seem feasible solutions for outbreak times. Studies in future are needed to better scientifically elaborate these findings.

Keywords

COVID-19 - depression - PHQ-9 - online - Kosovo

Hrčak ID:

256934

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/256934

Publication date:

15.4.2021.

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