Korelati mentalnog zdravlja adolescenata srpske nacionalnosti sa Kosova i Metohije

Abstract

Mental health is one of the most intrigue concepts in psychology and psychiatry. There is a great number of definitions and models used for better and more precisely explanations and understandings. Present thesis was based on one of the most contemporarily models of mental health – three partite model of positive mental health (Keyes, 2002). According to that model, positive mental health could be understand through three concepts of well-being: emotional, psychological and social, with theirs specific aspects. Main aim of this study was to investigate repeatability of Keyes` model of positive mental health on Serbian adolescents sample, as well as hypothesis about dual-factor model of mental health and mental disease. Besides that, aim of study was also to investigate prevalence of levels of positive mental health, depression and anxiety, and risky behavior at Serbian adolescents in Kosovo and Metohija and Central Serbia. Sample consisted of 816 adolescents, age 17-24, were assigned questionnaires for measuring positive mental health (MHC-LF, Keyes, 2002), depression (Beck et al., 1979), anxiety (Beck et al., 1988), risky behavior (Scaar, 2009), family satisfaction (Antonovsky & Sourani, 1988) and serial questions about general functioning in peers relations, school/faculty etc. Results showed that Keyes` model of positive mental health could be applicable on Serbian adolescent population. Also, dual-factor model of mental health and mental disease showed to be better then model with only one factor, confirming hypothesis that these factors are different but correlated. This research also showed that adolescent from Kosovo and Metohija have lower positive mental health compared to adolescents from Central Serbia. Specifically, in sample from Kosovo and Metohija there was significantly smaller number of respondents with “flourishing” mental health. Respondents from these two groups are not significantly different in prevalence of symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as in level of risky behavior. In present thesis, theoretical and practical implications, as well as guidelines for future research in this area are discussed.