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Copyright of Psychiatry Today / Psihijatrija Danas is the property of Institut za Mentalno Zdravlje and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

• Assessing health benefits of urban green areas in Serbia, Western Balkan (WB) region. • Two hundred surveys were conducted in two municipalities in the city of Belgrade. • A t -test showed that the respondents perceive more social benefits of a green space. • Green areas have potential for the alleviation of nervous problems and medication use. • Lack of empirical evidence in the WB region calls for further research on the topic. Frequent visits to urban green areas have been widely demonstrated to bring notable health benefits to city residents and helped them to maintain contact with nature. Empirical evidence strongly supports the positive influence of a green environment on the physical and mental health of the population. However, there is a lack of existing literature on the Western Balkan region, with no evidence of whether the impact of urban green spaces on health depends on the type and average amount of green space available. This paper examines the connection between the perceived benefits of urban green areas and the physical and mental well-being of visitors in two central municipalities of the city of Belgrade (Serbia). For this purpose the survey was conducted on two hundred residents of the municipalities of Vračar and Čukarica. The object of the survey was to explore whether residents who live in areas with more green spaces perceive better physical and mental health and spend more time outdoors. A t -test for independent samples showed that the respondents who value recreational activities like walking and common activities perceive more social benefits of a green space. The results indicate that urban green areas are recognised as suitable settings for running and jogging, but also refer to their potential for the alleviation of self-reported nervous problems and medication use, therefore supporting further research on this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing findings point to peculiarities of personality traits of the musically gifted. These traits can be viewed as the result of acquisition and modelling of certain forms of behaviour, reactions and feelings in accordance with the conditions and demands of the educational and professional context. The aim of this paper is to explore whether the students of the Faculty of Music (FOM) are different from the students of other faculties in the prominence of anxiety and depressive symptoms and early maladaptive schemas. Anxiety symptoms were measured by the Spielberger's Test Anxiety Inventory - Trait (STAI-T), depressive symptoms by Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI), while the presence of early maladaptive schemas was determined by the score on the shorter form of Young's questionnaire that measures the presence of 15 schemas. The sample included 176 students, 48,9% of whom came from the FOM, and 51,1% from other Belgrade faculties. Descriptive analysis and multivariate analysis of variance indicate that both the anxiety (F(1,176)=6,40; p<0,01) and depressive symptoms (F(1,176)=10,15; p<0,01), as well as early maladaptive schemas (F(15,158)=3,02; p<0,001) are more prominent in FOM students. Statistically significant differences are found for ten schemas, and using a Bonferroni adjusted alpha level of 0,003 a significant difference is found for four schemas: social isolation, dependence, entitlement and insufficient self-control. It can be concluded that music students are different from the students of other faculties in that they have more prominent anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as more prominent mala-daptive schemas. The obtained differences, i.e. higher vulnerability in musicians, are discussed in the context of the teaching process and the professional demands imposed upon them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are for the time being no systematic studies exploring transgender and non-binary (TGNB) mental health in the Serbian context which, over the last three decades, has been characterized by profound social transformations. We draw upon 15 semi-structured interviews with members of a TGNB self-help group operating in Belgrade, Serbia. The material was analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. We identified three elements of group operation: 1) information, support, and community, 2) navigating the medical/psychiatric system, and 3) dealing with gender binarism. While the group is important for helping its members navigate the medical system in terms of mental health professionals' expectations regarding "proper" candidates for gender affirmation procedures, it has a hard time escaping a gender binarism that characterizes its social context. Despite significant improvements in the situation of TGNB people concerning psychiatric gatekeeping and legal gender recognition, the TGNB community is still marginalized with mental health being one of the main areas of marginalization. Activist organizations' alternative forms of mental health care can help to transform mainstream mental health policies rendering them more sensitive to the needs of TGNB individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]