Background The COVID-19 pandemic is currently one of the biggest public health threats for people’s mental health. A particularly endangered group were students, who became highly affected by measures of social distance due to their active lifestyle. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to assess the level of self-reported stress, anxiety and depression of the student population in Serbia, in relation to demographic characteristics, living and studying conditions, students’ activities during the epidemic, potential coronavirus infection and general, mental and physical health. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of 580 undergraduate medical students from the University of Belgrade during the 2020/2021 school year. Mental health data were collected using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21). Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to examine the association between independent variables with the dependent variable mental health. Results Women made up the majority of the sample with 80.3%. A total of 64.5%, 66.8% and 66.7% of students between the ages of 21 and 30 had severe depressive symptoms, severe degree of anxiety, and a severe degree of stress, respectively. Women almost twice as often (OR = 1.89) assessed their anxiety as severe and almost two and a half times more (OR = 2.39) perceived stress as severe compared to men. Students who lived with their families during studies two and a half times (OR = 2.57) more often assessed their stress as severe, compared to students who lived alone. Fifth- and sixth-year students were less likely to rate depression and anxiety as serious than the first-year students. Conclusions Medical students reported their health as severely impaired in terms of depression, anxiety and stress reactions. The results indicate the need to launch a mental health program in the form of counseling and emotional support to students affected by the pandemic.

Students are particularly vulnerable from the mental health aspect, which was especially recognized during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to reveal the impact of COVID-19 on quality of life (QoL) and mental health among dental students. The study was conducted on a sample of 797 students (207 male and 592 female) with an average age of 21.7 ± 2.4, from the School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade. The measurements used in the study were the Demographic and Academic Questionnaire, Questionnaire about exposure to COVID-19, COVID-19-Impact on QoL Questionnaire (COV19-QoL), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). The mean total score for COV19-QoL was 2.9 ± 0.9, while the diagnostic criteria of GAD-7 and depression met 19.9% and 31.4% of students, respectively. There was a positive and strong correlation between QoL, anxiety, and depression. During COVID-19, predictors for lower perceptions of QoL were female gender and death of close relatives (p = 0.049, p = 0.005, respectively). At the same time, predictors for GAD were female gender, living in dormitories, and death of close relatives (p = 0.019, p = 0.011, p = 0.028, respectively), while for depression they were year of study, living with parents, and death of close relatives due to COVID-19 (p = 0.012, p = 0.008, p = 0.029, respectively). The study showed that students’ QoL and mental health during the pandemic were at high risk.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many problems and challenges to the medical profession, including psychiatry. These include the emergence of de novo disorders in the population, the worsening of the condition in previously diagnosed patients, but also problems in the mental functioning of health professionals, who were involved in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Numerous international papers address these problems and challenges, as is the case with a large number of studies and papers published by Serbian researchers and experts in Serbian and international publications. Objective: The objective of the paper is to present research conducted in the Republic of Serbia related to the COVID-19 infection and its impact on mental health. Methods: This paper presents the results of Serbian research as well as expert opinions related to the COVID-19 infection and its impact on mental health. The basis for the preparation of this paper were publications of Serbian authors published mostly in international journals. These publications present the results of original studies, but also expert considerations related to the impact of the COVID-19 infection on mental health. Results: Previous research and extensive clinical practice in the Republic of Serbia show the existence of frequent and intensive problems related to mental health, resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, present in both the general population and in specific populations, such as health workers and patients suffering from psychiatric disorders. Conclusion: Based on the presented results, the conclusion is that, in order to deal with this issue, a number of specialized institutions should be opened in the territory of the entire Republic of Serbia, where patients could find support and help for their problems.

Psihomotorna agitacija ( PMA) ili psihomotorni nemir je stanje  koje karakteriše uznemirenost, uzbuđenje, oslabljena kontrola ponašanja, ubrzana motorika, površan verbalni kontakt i tendencija impulsivnog reagovanja. U praksi je najvažnije otkriti epizode psihomotorne agitacije u njihovoj najranijoj manifestaciji kako bi se izbeglo usložnjavanje simptoma i sprečile brojne zdravstvene, pravne i ekonomske posledice koje neblagovremeno prepoznavanje sobom nosi. Psihomotorna agitacija i delirijum mogu biti jedan od simptoma COVID 19 infekcije. U tom kontekstu (interakcije sa antivirusnom i antimalaričnom th koja se koristi u lečenju covid infekcije i komplikacija same virusne infekcije)  razmatramo terapiju agitacije kao stanja koje zahteva urgentni tretman.

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