Although there are no regular measurements from a gender perspective, experts argue that the mental health of women and girls in Albania has been worsened by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Approximately 70% of women reported episodes of depression during interviews, which increased with their age.

According to a study published by the “Together for Life” organization based on surveys with different groups, women and girls in Albania are at a higher risk of experiencing mental health problems, particularly depression and anxiety.

“We have our national data showing that the risk of mental health problems is greater among girls and women. The most common issues among them are depression and anxiety. Gender differences are consistently present in every study regarding different age groups and social strata. Data on mental health should be disaggregated for men and women to help tailor services in this field,” says Dr. Alban Ylli, a public health expert.

The authors suggest that systematic health data from various services should be separated by gender, and they emphasized that bypassing gender differences or gender biases can have clinical or public health consequences.

Domestic violence is present for about 37% of women and girls, as reported by data from the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) and civil society organizations, which causes them anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts.

More than 10% of abused women lose their jobs, while others face difficulties finding employment, which weakens their mental and physical health and their economic power.

“What was concerning in the report was the fact that only half of the interviewees were women who had sought medical visits and had been clinically diagnosed with mental health disorders. Women stated that they more often use primary healthcare services and find it difficult to be admitted to hospitals. We observe that women keep their mental health problems hidden and do not want to reveal them due to the stigmatization they might face from society,” says Redina Çanaku, project coordinator at the “Together for Life” organization.

The study notes that men are diagnosed with depression twice as often as women by professionals, which may indicate an “acceptance” or “normalization” of depression among many women, who tend not to seek medical help for their condition.

The authors emphasized that diagnosed depression is five times lower than the actual reported depression by the population.

Surveys show that men more frequently use hospital services, which may be linked to cultural or behavioral factors.

Studies observe that there are still no regular and periodic measurements of the mental health of women and girls, who still have limited access to these services due to social stigma and lack of information.

Albania has some of the lowest rates in Europe regarding the access of mental health care.

The study highlights that Albania has good laws and policies regarding mental health and gender equality, but gender-specific characteristics deserve special attention because mental health can have different manifestations in men and women.