Publication Date: January 1970
Link: Full report (in Serbian)
Analysis on Mental Health of Journalists

Analysis on Mental Health of Journalists

Overview

This report, authored by Jovana Gligorijević, Tamara Džamonja Ignjatović, Branko Čečen, Veran Matic, and Miroslav Janković, presents findings from a 2025 survey of 218 Serbian journalists conducted with support from the OSCE Mission in Serbia and journalist associations (NUNS, UNS, NDNV, ANEM, AM, AOM).

Key Demographics

  • Gender: ~60% women, 40% men
  • Age: 50% aged 30-50 years; significant representation from older journalists (60s-70s)
  • Education: 33% studied journalism; 25% lack university education
  • Employment: Majority work in Belgrade; significant freelance population (~30%)
  • Experience: Over 70% have worked 10+ years; concerning shortage of young entrants

Critical Mental Health Findings

Indicator Percentage Comparison
Mental disorders/tegrub 37.1% >2x general population (~15%)
Regular stress exposure 95.9% Nearly universal
Burnout experienced 82.1% Most experienced multiple times
Workplace mobbing 41.7% Often from editors/management
PTSD diagnosis 19.2% 20x higher than general population
Chronic physical illness 62.4% 86.2% attribute to stress

Primary Stressors

  1. Financial insecurity/low pay: 55%
  2. Tight deadlines/heavy workload: 49.5%
  3. External threats/harassment: 47.2%
  4. Job insecurity: 42.7%
  5. Traumatic reporting topics: Politics, crime, corruption, war, disasters

Support Gap

  • 64.4% needed psychological help but did not seek it
  • Main barriers: Cost (33.6%), time (30.8%), stigma (5.3%)
  • Only ~10% receive regular psychological support
  • 46.3% received editorial support (improvement from 37.8% in 2023)

Recommendations

  1. Systemic measures: Regular health screenings, employer-funded psychological support
  2. Training: Stress management education for journalists and management
  3. Legal reform: Update criminal code to cover psychological harassment
  4. Safety infrastructure: Regional safe houses for threatened journalists
  5. Destigmatization: Campaigns encouraging help-seeking behavior
  6. Family support: Extend assistance to journalists' families affected by stress

Conclusion

The situation represents a serious public health concern affecting media quality and democratic institutions. Without intervention, hundreds of journalists face deteriorating mental and physical health, threatening the sustainability of independent journalism in Serbia.

Tags: media freedom Safety of journalists Serbia

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