Awareness, Attitudes and Self-Reported Practices Regarding Perinatal Mental Health and Depression Screening Among Healthcare Professionals in Serbia: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Survey
8 affiliations
- 1Special Hospital for Psychiatric Disorders Kovin, 26220 Kovin, Serbia
- 2Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- 3Faculty of medicine, University of Niš, 18000 Niš, Serbia
- 4Center for Mental Health Protection, University Clinical Centre of Niš, 18000 Niš, Serbia
- 5Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Clinical Centre of Serbia, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- 6Department for Gynecology, Health System “Euromedik”, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- 7Clinic for Psychiatry, University Clinical Centre of Serbia, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- 8Human Neuroscience Group, Centre for Neuroscience and Neuromodulation, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Abstract
Background: Mood disorders, especially perinatal depression (PND), are a major public health concern, yet in Serbia there are no standardized screening protocols and limited data on healthcare professionals’ preparedness to recognize and manage it. Aims: To explore awareness, attitudes toward screening, self-reported familiarity, and self-reported clinical practices regarding PND among healthcare professionals in Serbia. Method: A cross-sectional, anonymous online survey was conducted in a convenience sample of 221 healthcare professionals (gynecology/obstetrics, pediatrics, psychiatry, midwifery, and community nursing) from two urban centers (Belgrade and Niš). A de novo 23-item survey was used. Group differences were tested with Fisher’s exact tests, and associations with demographic and professional characteristics were examined with penalized (Firth) logistic and ordinal regression models with psychiatry as reference category; p-values were Holm-adjusted within each family of tests. Results: Most respondents recognized pregnancy (85.5%) and the postpartum period (93.7%) as periods of increased risk for mental disorders and supported routine screening (91.0%). However, self-reported awareness of guidelines, screening timeframes, and diagnostic criteria was limited, particularly among non-psychiatric professionals. In multivariable analyses using psychiatry as the reference category, respondents working in gynecology/obstetrics had significantly lower odds of reporting awareness of national guidelines (OR = 0.120, 95% CI 0.038–0.327), international guidelines (OR = 0.176, 95% CI 0.044–0.575), recommended screening timeframes (OR = 0.053, 95% CI 0.007–0.237), and institutional clinical pathways (OR = 0.047, 95% CI 0.005–0.235). Respondents working in pediatrics also had lower odds of reporting awareness of national guidelines (OR = 0.121, 95% CI 0.043–0.297) and screening timeframes (OR = 0.032, 95% CI 0.005–0.132). Both non-psychiatric groups had higher odds of reporting poorer familiarity with ICD-10 diagnostic criteria and choosing referral to a psychiatrist rather than initiating screening themselves in the clinical vignette. All reported associations remained significant after Holm correction. Conclusions: In this convenience sample, gaps in self-reported familiarity, screening practices, and perceived institutional organization were evident, particularly outside psychiatry. Although the findings cannot be extrapolated to the national level without caution, they suggest that integrating routine screening into maternal care, targeted training, and updated national guidelines could improve the early detection and care of PND.
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BibTeX
@article{mladenovic2026awareness,
title = {{Awareness, Attitudes and Self-Reported Practices Regarding Perinatal Mental Health and Depression Screening Among Healthcare Professionals in Serbia: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Survey}},
author = {Danilo Mladenović and Jelena Stojanov and Sanja Kostić and Nevena Mićanović and Marjana Gojković and Miloš Petronijević and Svetlana Vrzić Petronijević and Jovana Bjekić and Bojana Dunjić Kostić and Miloš Marković},
journal = {Journal of Clinical Medicine},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3390/jcm15218549},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/21/8549},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Awareness, Attitudes and Self-Reported Practices Regarding Perinatal Mental Health and Depression Screening Among Healthcare Professionals in Serbia: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Survey
AU - Danilo Mladenović
AU - Jelena Stojanov
AU - Sanja Kostić
AU - Nevena Mićanović
AU - Marjana Gojković
AU - Miloš Petronijević
AU - Svetlana Vrzić Petronijević
AU - Jovana Bjekić
AU - Bojana Dunjić Kostić
AU - Miloš Marković
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/03
JO - Journal of Clinical Medicine
DO - 10.3390/jcm15218549
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/21/8549
AB - Background: Mood disorders, especially perinatal depression (PND), are a major public health concern, yet in Serbia there are no standardized screening protocols and limited data on healthcare professionals’ preparedness to recognize and manage it. Aims: To explore awareness, attitudes toward screening, self-reported familiarity, and self-reported clinical practices regarding PND among healthcare professionals in Serbia. Method: A cross-sectional, anonymous online survey was conducted in a convenience sample of 221 healthcare professionals (gynecology/obstetrics, pediatrics, psychiatry, midwifery, and community nursing) from two urban centers (Belgrade and Niš). A de novo 23-item survey was used. Group differences were tested with Fisher’s exact tests, and associations with demographic and professional characteristics were examined with penalized (Firth) logistic and ordinal regression models with psychiatry as reference category; p-values were Holm-adjusted within each family of tests. Results: Most respondents recognized pregnancy (85.5%) and the postpartum period (93.7%) as periods of increased risk for mental disorders and supported routine screening (91.0%). However, self-reported awareness of guidelines, screening timeframes, and diagnostic criteria was limited, particularly among non-psychiatric professionals. In multivariable analyses using psychiatry as the reference category, respondents working in gynecology/obstetrics had significantly lower odds of reporting awareness of national guidelines (OR = 0.120, 95% CI 0.038–0.327), international guidelines (OR = 0.176, 95% CI 0.044–0.575), recommended screening timeframes (OR = 0.053, 95% CI 0.007–0.237), and institutional clinical pathways (OR = 0.047, 95% CI 0.005–0.235). Respondents working in pediatrics also had lower odds of reporting awareness of national guidelines (OR = 0.121, 95% CI 0.043–0.297) and screening timeframes (OR = 0.032, 95% CI 0.005–0.132). Both non-psychiatric groups had higher odds of reporting poorer familiarity with ICD-10 diagnostic criteria and choosing referral to a psychiatrist rather than initiating screening themselves in the clinical vignette. All reported associations remained significant after Holm correction. Conclusions: In this convenience sample, gaps in self-reported familiarity, screening practices, and perceived institutional organization were evident, particularly outside psychiatry. Although the findings cannot be extrapolated to the national level without caution, they suggest that integrating routine screening into maternal care, targeted training, and updated national guidelines could improve the early detection and care of PND.
SN - 2077-0383
ER -