Suicide in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the city of Sarajevo.

BACKGROUND: Besides the war experience (1992-1995), Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) constitutes an interesting area for studies on suicidal behavior from an ethnic and religious perspective with its mixed ethnic population of Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croats. AIMS: The study investigates suicide in BiH and the capital city of Sarajevo before (1985-1991) and after the war (1998-2006), with special reference to gender and ethnicity. METHOD: Official suicide data were gathered for the two periods with regard to gender, ethnicity, and suicide methods used. RESULTS: No differences in suicide rates were found in BiH and Sarajevo before and after the war. The male-to-female suicide rate ratio in BiH was significantly higher after the war than before the war, with an opposite tendency seen in Sarajevo. Before and after the war, the highest and stable suicide rates were among Serbs in BiH. In Sarajevo the highest suicide rates were found among Croats after the war. Hanging was the most common suicide method used, both before and after the war, while firearms were more commonly used after the war. Poisoning was a rarely used method in both periods. CONCLUSION: The stable suicide rates in BiH over the pre- and postwar periods indicate no evident influence of the Bosnian war on the postwar level of suicide rates, except for women in Sarajevo. Beside this exception, the findings indicate a long-established underlying pattern in suicide rates that was not immediately changed, even by war. The study supports earlier findings that the accessibility of means influences the choice of suicide method used.

Somatisation disorder in nephrologic patients.

INTRODUCTION: Nephrologic patients have somatisation disorder that can be primary disorder when fear is dominant or secondary disorder in the frame of other organic and mental disorders. AIM: To evaluate, somatisaton disorder is more offten accompanied with microalbuminuria (MA) in patients with suspected endemic nephropathy than in patients with some other nephrologic disorder, in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) during period from January the 1st of 2000 to December the 31st of 2006. METHOD: Somatisation disorders were proved in patients with microalbuminuria (MA) in nephropathic group (n = 200), and they were compared to the patients with MA in other nephrologic disorders (n = 200). The study took place from January, the 1st of 2000 to December, the 31st of 2006, and it was a multicentric, longitudinal, comparative study in B&H. Patients were questioned using: B&H Renal register questionnaire adapted for this study and psychological tests: Eysenck's Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). Statistical analysis was done using descriptive methods and multivariate logistic model. RESULTS: In nephropathic group (t = 23.103, P = 0.001) somatisation disorder F45.0 was found in 10.50%, while it was found in 7.00% patients in control group. On multivariate model, somatisation disorder in nephropathic group F45.0 was -4.00%, r = 0.950, OR = 0.875 (95%), CI = 0.710-0.820; undifferentiated disorder -4.00%, hypochondria -3.50%, disfunction of VNS -1.50%, pain disorder -1.00% and 0.50% of other disorders life in house, village and renal heredity. Somatisation disorder in control group was 2.50%, r = 0.815, OR = 0.985 (95%), CI = 0.710-0.920, P = 0.001, undifferentiated disorder -2.50%, disfunction of VNS -2.00%, pain -1.50%, and -1.00% hypochondria with migration, living in flat and town. CONCLUSION: Majority of the patients tested on microalbuminuria had somatisation of fear, and nephropathic somatisation disorder F45.0 was found in 10.50% comparing to 7.00% of controls, comfirming somatisation of anxiety in nephrologic patients. Somatisation was proved using sociodemographic and variables of anxiety, depressivness and cognitive disturbance.

[Abuse of psychoactive substances by adolescents in rural and urban environments]. / Zloupotreba psihoaktivnih supstanci kod adolescenata u ruralnoj i urbanoj sredini.

It is well known that drug abuse is common in early adolescence with almost the same epidemiological characteristics in economical developed and undeveloped countries. Aim of this study is to compare drug abuse among adolescents in the urban and rural areas. Research covers 600 adolescents equal gender and age distribution. Distribution of participants regarding to the rural and urban type of areas, was equal, as well. It was used Q 2000 questionnaires, which was comprehensive tool for all aspects of adolescents life. Results shows that drug abuse is much more common in urban areas (alcohol 62.4%; and cannabis 70.0%; in rural areas alcohol 37.6%; and cannabis 30.0%). Regarding to age, drug abuse is the most common among adolescents aged 15-17. Alcohol is much more related to boys, but regarding to cannabis there is almost no differences.

Suicidal thoughts related to psychoactive substance abuse among adolescents.

The enquiry of suicide is of particular importance. According to WHO statistics suicide in people aged from 15 to 24 years has shown the greatest increase of relative mortality. In the group of suicidal adolescents, depression, behavioural disorders, abuse of different substances and personality deviations are frequent factors in presence. The aim of our investigation was to determine the correlation between psychoactive substance abuse and the occurrence of suicidal thoughts in adolescents. The specific "Q 2000" test was used to question 600 adolescents, from Tuzla and Sarajevo Cantons, with the same gender and age distribution and rural-urban ambient. The more prevailing suicidal idea occurrence was observed in cannabis abusers (50.0%) and alcohol abusers (36.6%) in comparison to non-abusers regardless gender and/or living ambient (settlement types) (19.5% and 17.6% per each, x2 = 17.184 p = 0.00001). The augmentation in number of suicidal ideas was not observed in tobacco smokers.