Individual and collective protective responses during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in 10 different countries: Results from the EUCLID online survey.

BACKGROUND: In times of unprecedented infectious disease threats, it is essential to understand how to increase individual protective behaviors and support for collective measures. The present study therefore examines factors associated with individual and collective pathways. METHODS: Data was collected through an online survey from 4483 participants (70.8% female, M = 41.2 years) across 10 countries from April 15, 2020 to June 2, 2020 as part of the "EUCLID" project (https://euclid.dbvis.de). Structural equation modeling was used to examine individual and collective pathways across and within countries. RESULTS: Overall, the adoption of individual protective behaviors and support for collective measures were high. Risk perception on the individual level and perceived effectiveness at the collective level were positively associated with both individual protective behaviors and support for collective measures. Furthermore, the model explained considerable variance in individual (40.7%) and collective protective behaviors (40.8%) and was largely replicated across countries. CONCLUSIONS: The study extends previous research by demonstrating that individual risk perception and perceived effectiveness of collective measures jointly affect individual protective health behaviors and support for collective measures. These findings highlight the need to jointly consider a variety of behavioral actions against infectious disease threats, acknowledging interactions between individual and collective pathways.

Are Resilient Factors Increasing the Risk for Childhood Psychological Victimization?

BACKGROUND: Understanding the resilient factors and why some children do well despite early adverse experiences is crucial, because it can inform more effective policies and programs that help more children reach their full potential. AIM: The main objective of the study is to describe the associations between psychological abuse in childhood and resilient risk factors on individual, relational, contextual level among adolescents in the country and see the probability of resiliency to predict psychological victimisation. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Cross-sectional study on two-stage quota sample of 622 university students was applied in the study, including adolescents at first and second year at the main public Ss Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, from the 12 faculties in the country. Adverse Childhood Experiences Study International Questionnaires was used for collecting information on psychological abuse, while the individual, relational and contextual resilient factors were measured using the Child and Youth Resilience Measure - Youth version. The study was conducted from March to September 2017. Statistical significance was set up at P < 0.05. RESULTS: The results from the study have shown statistically significant negative correlation between exposure to psychological abuse in childhood and individual (rpb = -0.159), relational (rpb = -0.263), contextual factors (rpb = -0.147), and resilience in total (rpb = -0.232). The regressive model presents that 5.2% of the variance of the variable experienced psychological abuse is explained with resilience (F(1, 527) = 28.909; P < 0.001), showing that resilience is negatively significant predictor for being psychologically abused in childhood (ß = -0.228; t = -5.377; P < 0.001). The regressive model explains the individual contribution of the predictor variables for the psychological abuse, presenting that only caregiver resiliency is a significant predictor for psychological abuse (ß = -0.282; t = -4.986; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Supporting children through prevention means foster competence and prevent problems. Preventive programmes represent developing protective factors in childhood, increasing competence and skills for the growth of resilience and decreasing the likelihood of developing psychopathology in adolescence and adulthood. It is of common interest of society for implementation of evidence-based interventions with fostering settings and in the long run enabling positive childhood basis for future generations.

Community survey of elder maltreatment: a report from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

The survey on the prevalence of elder maltreatment in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was conducted in a representative sample of older people aged 65 and over (N=960) living in private households in different regions in the country (530 females (55.3%) and 430 males (44.7%)). This survey aimed to describe the prevalence of elder maltreatment and to identify risk factors for its occurrence. Results showed that the prevalence of elder maltreatment in this population is high: psychological abuse 25.7%, financial abuse 12%, neglect 6.6%, and physical abuse 5.7%. Of those reporting abuse, 5.6% reported frequent (at least monthly) abuse of one type and 15.7% reported frequent abuse of more than one type. The perpetrator was most often a family member. Risk factors included female gender, older age, physical or mental ill health, sensory dysfunction, lower household income or education. Strategies are needed for the prevention of elder maltreatment which involve multisectoral action from the health, social and justice sectors.

Survey of adverse childhood experiences among young people in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

This survey of adverse childhood experiences was undertaken in 1277 students aged over 18 years from arepresentative sample of high schools and universities in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Thestudy findings show a high reported prevalence of physical abuse (21%), emotional abuse (10.8%), sexualabuse (12.7%), physical neglect (20%) and emotional neglect (30.6%). Both sexes were affected though sexualabuse and physical neglect were higher in males and emotional neglect was higher in females. Householddysfunction was also common: 10% witnessed violent treatment of their mother, 3.7% lived with someonewho abused drugs, 10.7% lived with an alcoholic, in 6.9% a household member had a mental illness, and in5% a household member had been incarcerated, and 3.8% had experienced parental separation. Adversechildhood experiences were linked to health-risk behaviours. For example, emotional abuse doubled thelikelihood of drug abuse, tripled the likelihood of attempting suicide, and increased the likelihood of earlypregnancy 3.5 times. Physical abuse increased the likelihood of early pregnancy 8.3 times and doubledthe likelihood of attempting suicide. There was a general trend that as the number of adverse childhoodexperiences increased, so did health-risk behaviours, implying an association with longer-term poor healthoutcomes.