Mental Health of Teachers in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Time of COVID-19 Pandemics.

BACKGROUND: The pandemic of COVID-19 has affected all spheres of life, including education. Teachers at all levels were faced with numerous challenges during the pandemic. These challenges had an impact on their mental health. OBJECTIVE: The goal of the present study was to examine the depression, anxiety, and stress levels in teachers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. METHODS: The sample for this study consisted of 559 teachers (471 female teachers and 88 male teachers). We used the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS 21) to measure teachers' emotional states of depression, anxiety, and stress. RESULTS: The findings of this study clearly indicate the high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress in teachers. We also identified that levels of support provided by family members and school administration served as protective factors in the time of crisis. CONCLUSION: Teachers in Bosnia and Herzegovina have a high prevalence of elevated depression, anxiety, and stress levels. The article concludes with some recommendations on how to improve the mental health of teachers.

Influence of Motion Therapy in the Prevention of Lumbar Pain Syndrome Relapse.

INTRODUCTION: Lumbar pain syndrome is one of the most common conditions in clinical practice, more common than 290 other pathological conditions, which affect up to 84% of adults in a certain period of their life. The origin of the lower back pain can be classified as mechanical, neuropathic and secondary due to another illness. Patient education and information, muscle strengthening exercises, maintenance of routine daily physical activity and pain therapy are the basis of acute non-specific pain syndrome therapy. AIM: To determine the success of the motion therapy procedure in the prevention of lumbar pain syndrome relapse. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The research is prospective, longitudinal, manipulative and controllable. It was conducted in the private practice "Praxis - dr. Pecar" in the period from June 20, 2014 to June 1, 2016, and included 200 respondents with symptoms of lumbar pain syndromes divided into the experimental (n=100) and control (n=100) groups. The presence of lumbar pain syndrome relapse in respondents experimental and control group was recorded in the second and third clinical examination. RESULTS: In the second examination, 4 (4%) of the respondents from experimental group and 37 (37%) of the control group responded had LBS relapse. In the third examination, the number of respondents with recurrent LBS in the experimental group was 4 (4%), while in the control group was 17 (17%). After the study, no statistically significant difference was observed in the mean age of respondents who had LBS relapse compared to respondents without LBS relapse, as well as significant influence of sex structure on relapse in the experimental and control group during the second and third examination. CONCLUSION: After the second examination, the relapse rate in the experimental group was statistically significantly higher in the respondents withstanding jobs, while there was no statistically significant difference in the control group and both groups after the third examination.

Physical Therapy in Elderly Suffering from Degenerative Diseases.

INTRODUCTION: Osteoarthritis of the joints (osteoarthritis or arthritis) represents the largest group of rheumatic diseases. Within rheumatic diseases 50% are degenerative rheumatic diseases, 10% inflammatory and 40% extra-articular. GOAL: To determine the modalities of physical therapy for elderly with degenerative diseases. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study is retrospective-prospective and descriptive. The survey conducted included 25 patients with degenerative diseases of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems in Gerontology Center in Sarajevo, from May 1, 2014- April 30, 2015. As research instruments were used: Questionnaire for users of physical therapy in Gerontology Center in Sarajevo, self-developed, visual-analog scale to assess pain and patient records. RESULTS: Of the total number of patients with degenerative diseases (25), 10 (40%) were male and 15 (60%) were female. The most common degenerative disease is knee osteoarthritis which had 11 patients (29%), 3 males and 8 females. From physical therapy modalities in the treatment of degenerative diseases at the Gerontology Center in Sarajevo, kinetic therapy was administered to all patients, followed by manual massage and TENS in 15 cases (60%). From twenty-two patients, who completed a questionnaire, 11 (50%, 2 male and 9 female) rated their health as poor. Seven patients (32%, 3 male and 4 female) assessed their health as good. Three patients (14%, 2 male and 1 female) rated their health as very poor, and one patient (4%, 1 male) rated its health as very good. CONCLUSION: The Research Physical therapy in elderly with degenerative diseases is a pilot project, which highlights the need for: Conducting research for a longer time period, with a larger sample; Quality of keeping health records; Implementation of a continuous evaluation of functional status and; Stricter control for optimal effectiveness of physical therapy in order to improve the quality of life of elderly patients.

Chronic illness and family: impact of schizophrenia and Crohn's disease on the family quality of life.

BACKGROUND: Quality of life assessments are increasingly present in health research. Chronic and progressive illness of a family member unavoidably affects quality of life of a family as a whole. The goals of this study were to gain insight into the family burden of chronic disorders, especially possible differences in family quality of life (FQOL) in families that have members suffering from either schizophrenia or Crohn's disease, and families in which none of the members have chronic somatic or mental illness, as well as to pilot an instrument for this purpose. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The sample consisted of 53 families with a member suffering from schizophrenia, 50 families with a member suffering from Crohn's disease, and 45 families with no identifiable chronic illnesses. An informant from each family underwent a structured face to face interview, using a questionnaire specially adapted from Family Quality of Life Survey, an instrument widely used to assess FQOL in families with members with disabilities, and which addresses nine areas of family life. RESULTS: In the domain of health, both groups of families with chronic illnesses believe they have significantly different conditions when compared to members of the Control group. In the Crohn's disease group, families had a great deal more of challenges in accessing healthcare services; and see themselves at a disadvantage when compared to both other groups in the domain of finances. Control group offered lowest rating in the domain of support from others. Overall measures of FQOL show significant variation among the three groups, Crohn's disease group offering lowest ratings, followed by families of mental health service users. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, FQOL seems to be lower in families that have members diagnosed with Crohn's disease than in families with members suffering from schizophrenia. Illness-specific studies are required, as well as instruments with stronger psychometric properties and studies of determinants of FQOL. Qualitative approach should be emphasised when studying FQOL related to chronic illnesses.

[War psychotrauma of pregnant women as prenatal factor of cerebral palsy]. / Ratna psihotrauma trudnica kao prenatalni faktor djecije cerebralne paralize.

UNLABELLED: Cerebral palsy is a pathological state characterized primarily with the damage of the motor functioning which can be accompanied by the other disorders such as: problems with sight and hearing, intellectual deficit, emotional problems, conduct disorders, speech disorders, epileptic seizures etc. According to the period of influence, causes of the cerebral palsy can be divided to prenatal, perinatal and postnatal. Prenatal period is defined as the period from the conception until beginning of the delivery, neonatal period as a period from the beginning of the delivery until age of 28 days, and postnatal period from 29th day of age until two years of age. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY: to determine characteristics of psycho trauma as possible prenatal etiological factor of cerebral palsy. Sample was consisted of 80 respondents, children and adolescents with cerebral palsy of Canton Sarajevo, age from 6 up to 20 years; mean age was 13,94 years years, 47 male (58,75 %) and 33 (41,25 %) female. Study of the influence of prenatal etiological factors on learning difficulties of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy in Canton Sarajevo is cohort, epidemiologically based and retrospectively prospective. In this study a Structural interview for the parents of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy was used. RESULTS: with prenatal etiological factors there are 35 (43,75 %) respondents, with perinatal 37 (46,25 %), postnatal 5 (6,25 %) and unknown factors 3 (3,75 %). From 11 mothers with diseases during pregnancies, who delivered in war years, 4 (36,36 %) recognized and underlined psycho trauma as major problem factor during pregnancy. CONCLUSION: War psycho trauma of pregnant women is present as possible prenatal etiological factor of cerebral palsy.

[Cerebral palsy and epilepsy in children]. / Djecija cerebralna paraliza i epilepsija.

Cerebral palsy is a pathological state characterized primarily with the damage to the motoric functioning which can be accompanied by the other disorders such as: problems with sight and hearing, intellectual deficit, emotional problems, conduct disorders, speech disorders, epileptic seizures etc. Martin Bax defines this entity as a disorder of movements and postural balance due to defect or damage of the young brain (Gavrankapetanovic I. at all., 2001). Study of the influence of prenatal ethiological factors on learning difficulties of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy in Canton Sarajevo is cohort, epidemiologicaly based and retrospectively prospective. In this study a Structural interview for the parents of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy was used. Sample was consisted of 80 respondents, children and adolescents with cerebral palsy of Canton Sarajevo, age from 6 up to 20 years, mean age was 13.94 years, 47 male 858.75%) and 33 (41.25%) female. In the group of respondents with illnesses during pregnancy 16 (53.3%) have epilepsy, and 14 (46.7%) does not. In the group withaut illnesses during pregnancy 17 (34%) have epilepsy, and 33 (66%) does not. Risk ration is 1.59 which means that these respondents whose mothers had illnesses during pregnancy have 1.6 times larger probability of developing epilepsy.

[Psychosocial support and home-based physical therapy in children adolescents with childhood cerebral palsy in the Canton of Sarajevo]. / Psihosocijalna podrska i kucna fizikalna terapija za djecu i adolescente sa djecijom cerebralnom paralizom kantona Sarajevo.

Problem of psychosocial support and home physical therapy of children and adolescent with Cerebral palsy we treated with Project with same name. Project is implementing together with Association of persons with Cerebral Palsy of Canton Sarajevo. Project is part of City of Sarajevo Project--"Sarajevo healthy town". 36 children and adolescents with Cerebral palsy, from 7 to 20 years, are included in six months home physical therapy. We included intellectually disabled and not disabled children and adolescents from Canton Sarajevo. Target population, except children, are parents and families of this children. Social worker and clinical psychologist are trainers of the Parents workshops. More psychosocial support we will have on Round table "Social integration of persons with Cerebral Palsy" and first brochure of the Association.