Background: The aim of this study was to compare the rates of vaccination against COVID-19 infection in psychiatric outpatients and the general population, as well as rates of infected patients. In addition, the level and type of anxiety due to the pandemic were observed in patients with psychotic, anxiety, and depressive disorders. Materials and Methods: In the present study, 171 patients with pre-existing mental disorders completed the questionnaire about the doses and types of vaccination against COVID-19. During 2021–2023, patients with different mental disorders, aged from 18 to 80, were included. All patients filled in a self-reported questionnaire including general information (age, sex, marriage, education, working status, comorbid conditions) as well as questions about mental health, receiving vaccination, and the course of COVID-19 infection if it was present. All patients gave informed consent for the interview. Results: Patients with pre-existing mental disorders were more likely to be vaccinated against COVID-19 compared with the general population. The Sinopharm vaccine was most frequently applied. In the observed patients, 46.8% were infected, but just 7% had a medium or serious form of infection and were not vaccinated. Conclusions: In our study, the percentage of vaccinated psychiatric patients was greater than that in the general population, except in psychotic patients, who were mostly limited by fear. Such results can be explained by the high percentage of somatic comorbidities in this population and perhaps insufficient information about the positive effects of vaccination.

Transthyretin amyloidosis is a rare disorder caused by the accumulation of misfolded transthyretin amyloid in organs. The symptoms can include neuropathy, cardiomyopathy, nephropathy, depression and cognitive decline. Because of the non-specificity of symptoms, it usually takes considerable time to diagnose, which delays specific therapy and leads to a worse prognosis. Our case highlights the psychological symptoms of this disorder that initially delayed diagnosis, and later helped to reach the correct diagnosis. We report the case of a man who presented with weakness of limbs, dizziness, vomiting, social withdrawal, loss of interest, reduced energy and difficulty concentrating. Different specialist evaluations failed to identify a cause, and the symptoms were attributed to depressive disorder. After psychiatric hospitalization to rule out depression as a possible cause, the patient was transferred to an internal medicine clinic where additional diagnostics led to a transthyretin amyloidosis diagnosis. Early-stage transthyretin amyloidosis is difficult to diagnose owing to its non-specific symptoms, but timely treatment is necessary to improve the disease course and outcome. With reference to this case, we emphasize that psychological symptoms in somatic illnesses can both delay and facilitate diagnosis of underlying disease.

Introduction/Objective. Burnout is a multidimensional syndrome that disproportionately affects healthcare professionals. While organizational and occupational factors have been extensively studied, the role of individual traits, such as personality, remains underexplored. This study aimed to examine the relationship between specific personality traits, sociodemographic variables, and occupational burnout among medical doctors in the Republic of Serbia. Methods. A cross-sectional, correlational study was conducted in 2024 using an online survey completed by 304 medical doctors. The instruments included a sociodemographic questionnaire, a shortened Big Five Plus Two personality inventory, and the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (work-related scale). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, and linear regression. Results. There were no significant gender differences in burnout levels (p = 0.958), nor differences based on communication skills training (p = 0.214). However, participants who reported insufficient time for patient care had significantly higher burnout levels (p < 0.001). Linear regression analysis indicated that extraversion negatively predicted burnout (β = -0.24, p = 0.003), while conscientiousness (β = 0.21, p = 0.002) and openness (β = 0.12, p = 0.024) were positive predictors. The model was significant (R = 0.307, F(5,298) = 6.18, p < 0.001), explaining 9.4% of the variance in burnout. Conclusion. Extraversion appears to serve as a protective factor against burnout, whereas higher levels of conscientiousness and openness are associated with increased burnout. These findings highlight the relevance of personality traits in burnout susceptibility and suggest the potential for targeted interventions in physician support programs.

Introduction. In the Republic of Serbia, pregabalin was marketed for the first time in 2006. Although the abuse of pregabalin has not been a common topic in the literature so far, it is often seen in everyday practice. Also, it seems that it is more common among addicts. Case outline. Mr. D. is a 41-year-old male patient, a perennial polytoxicomaniac on buprenorphine substitution therapy. He began using pregabalin because it caused euphoria and elevated mood, in daily doses which varies between 1050-2100 mg. The highest daily dose was 4200 mg. At the time he was admitted to the hospital for pregabalin detoxification, he met the general criteria for addiction syndrome. On admission, the patient was tense, anxious, irritable, drenched in sweat, and had insomnia. With an adequate dose of buprenorphine, the patient continued to complain about the reduction of the pregabalin dose and insisted on adjusting the dose. Shortly he was discharged from hospital at his personal request. After a month, during the check-up examination, he was diagnosed with a relapse of pregabalin use. He was readmitted to the hospital for detoxification treatment, the pregabalin dose was gradually reduced by 100 mg per week. After that the patient went to therapeutic community to continue treatment. Conclusion. This case indicates that practitioners have to be cautious when prescribing pregabalin to people prone to addiction. Further research is needed to identify risk factors for the development of pregabalin abuse syndrome, as well as to create clear guidelines for the treatment of abstinence syndrome.

Introduction/Objective. Homicide, a major public concern, has always attracted the attention of criminology, psychiatry, psychology, and other related disciplines. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency and type of mental disorders in 94 attempted-committed homicide perpetrators. Methods. The authors conducted a psychiatric assessment of all perpetrators based on psychiatric interviews, psychological testing, and the examination of available medical records. Results. The key findings of this study imply that there is a large percentage of violent crime perpetrators with mental disorders (62%). When we excluded people with personality disorders from this group, we found that the most common major mental disorders among the perpetrators were psychosis and alcohol use disorders (approximately 10% each). Conclusion. The results highlight the importance of the early identification and treatment of people with mental disorders in the general population, as this could reduce the possibility of criminal behavior. The high overall incidence of mental disorders in the group of homicide perpetrators indicates the need for a reform of psychiatric services in Serbia and the promotion of psychiatry in the community, which would contribute to bringing professionals closer to people with mental disorders and thus, timely recognition and treatment of these patients.

Background: Adolescent gambling is increasingly shaped by digital access, sports betting, and gambling-like mechanisms embedded in everyday youth culture. This study examined gambling-related problems among high school students and their associations with sociodemographic, family, mental health-related, and behavioral characteristics, with particular attention to sport participation. Methods: A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 2,379 high school students in Novi Sad, Serbia, between 2024 and 2026. Participants completed a structured sociodemographic and behavioral questionnaire and the Serbian version of the Gambling Disorder Identification Test. Students were classified as non-gambling, recreational gambling, or having gambling-related problems. Associations between gambling categories and selected characteristics were examined using omnibus chi-square tests, Cramér's V, and post-hoc pairwise comparisons. Results: Overall, 1,969 students (82.8%) were classified as non-gambling, 314 (13.2%) as recreational gambling, and 96 (4.0%) as having gambling-related problems. Gambling category was significantly associated with male sex, lower school achievement, living arrangement, parental marital status, sport participation, previous psychiatric treatment, family psychiatric history, smoking, alcohol use, and psychoactive substance use. In the univariate analyses, sport participation increased from 64.0% among non-gambling students to 75.2% among recreational gamblers and 78.1% among students with gambling-related problems. Post-hoc comparisons showed that sport participation differentiated non-gambling students from both gambling-involved groups, but not recreational gambling from gambling-related problems. However, after adjustment for sex and other relevant behavioral and mental health-related characteristics, sport participation was no longer independently associated with gambling-related problems. Male sex, previous psychiatric treatment, smoking, alcohol use, and psychoactive substance use remained the strongest independent correlates. Conclusion: Gambling-related problems in adolescents were associated with a broader pattern of behavioral and mental health-related factors. Although sport participation was associated with gambling involvement in unadjusted analyses, this association did not remain significant after adjustment for sex and other relevant characteristics. These findings support understanding adolescent gambling within a broader risk-behavior and public health framework, with sport representing a relevant context for prevention rather than an independent risk factor.