Some Characteristics of Mental Health in the Slovene Population

• Main Authors: Helena Jeriček Klanšček, Maja Zorko, Saška Roškar, Maja Bajt, Tanja Kamin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Slovenian Medical Association 2010-07-01
• Series: Zdravniški Vestnik
• Online Access: http://vestnik.szd.si/index.php/ZdravVest/article/view/273

Background: For many years, discussions about mental health evolved only around its negative aspects, i.e. mental diseases, symptoms and disorders. Positive mental health was given much less attention. This overview, which is based on numerous studies regarding mental health, is intended to present at least a few of the most outstanding data on negative as well as positive mental health of the Slovene population. The data show that a majority of visits on the primary and secondary levels of health care are associated with depression, anxiety and schizophrenia. Hospitalizations due to mental health problems are the longest among all hospitalizations. 9 % of all prescriptions issued in an outpatient clinic were intended for the treatment of mental disorders. Another allarming fact is that people take medicines even without consulting a physician. Data reagrding positive mental health are much more scarce, but nevertheless, they show that the Slovene people have a high self-esteem and sense of mastery and at the same time a low level of vitality and energy. Numerous data reveal that in mental health too there are obvious health inequalities regarding the socio-economic status and gender.