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Objective. The aim of the study was to determine the level of stress and life satisfaction in alcohol addicts, i.e., to examine whether respondents diagnosed with alcohol dependence (F10.2) differ according to the level ofstress and life satisfaction in comparison to respondents from the general population. Methods. The research was designed as a non-experimental, observational cross-sectional study, and was conducted in the period from January to July 2021, at the University Clinical Center Kragujevac. The sample consisted of 80 subjects of both sexes, aged 22 to 36 years, divided into two groups: the clinical group (subjects diagnosed with alcohol dependence - F10.2) and the control group of subjects without psychiatric illness. Results. The study has shown that alcohol addicts have clinically significant and severe symptoms of stress, as well as that stress symptoms were positively correlated with alcoholism, and negatively with life satisfaction. In our sample, the association between stress and life satisfaction in addicts was very negative and very significant (r = - 0.645, p <0.001). In the clinical group of alcohol addicts, a very strong correlation was found (r = - 0.907, p <0.001), while in the control group there was a moderate correlation (r = - 0.315, p <0.05). No statistically significant correlation of stress was found with marital status, as well as with work status, level of education or religious beliefs. Conclusion. In our study, it was found that higher values of stress and lower values of life satisfaction are predictive values for the possibility of alcohol dependence. These findings can be used as an auxiliary tool for orientation assessment as part of establishing the diagnosis of alcohol dependence, as well as for a better understanding of the stress phenomenon in the clinical population of alcohol addicts in our country.

Objective. The aim of the study was to examine the level of depression, anxiety and stress in alcohol addicts, i.e. to determine differences in the level of depression, anxiety and stress between the group of subjects diagnosed with F10.1 and the group of subjects diagnosed with F10.2, as well as to determine differences in sociodemographic characteristics and health status between the groups of subjects diagnosed with F10.1 and F10.2. Methods. Our study was designed as a non-experimental, observational cross-sectional study. It was conducted at the University Clinical Centre Kragujevac in the Clinic for Psychiatry, during January 2021. The sample consisted of 110 respondents of both sexes, aged 18 to 65, divided into two groups. The first group consisted of subjects diagnosed with alcohol dependence (F10.2), and the second group consisted of subjects diagnosed with alcohol abuse (F10.1). Results. Our study has shown that alcohol addicts have clinically significant and severe symptoms of depression, that symptoms were positively correlated with stress levels, and that short-term stress of milder intensity was associated with occasional alcohol abuse, while prolonged stress was a predictor of alcohol dependence. No statistically significant association of alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse with anxiety was found. It was also found that alcohol dependence is associated with certain sociodemographic characteristics such as gender and marital status, education level, employment status, as well as health status and the number of hospitalizations. Conclusion. With this study, we have shown how much stress is present and important in the genesis of alcoholism, as well as the positive correlation of depression and alcohol dependence, and the importance of sociodemographic characteristics in their genesis.

Social factors such as social support, integration, and belonging to the community are positive resources against adverse events and living conditions. This study at examining the influence of social support on depression among elderly people in Serbia. The research was done according to the type of cross-sectional study, a mass survey of a random, representative stratified two-stage sample of the population of Serbia in 2013, which was conducted by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Serbia. The target population consisted of 3540 respondents aged 65 and over. The Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) was used to evaluate the presence of depressive symptoms and the social support score from the questionnaire Oslo-3 scale of social support. The relations between depression symptoms and social support were examined with univariate logistic regression analyses. In the univariate regression model, social support stood out as a strong predictor of depression. People with weak social support are three and a half times more likely (OR = 3.45) to have depression compared to those with strong social support. Men with small social support were more likely to have depression (OR = 5.08) than women (OR = 3.41). These results indicate the urgency of addressing depression as a public health priority to reduce the burden and disability and improve the overall health of the elderly population.