Skopje psychiatry clinic records rise in patients seeking help after family and partner violence
Clinic data show 101 patients through July 2026 with stress-related conditions after family or partner violence, compared with 79 cases in 2025.
Skopje's Psychiatry Clinic has recorded a sharp rise in patients seeking professional help for psychological consequences of family and partner violence: 101 cases were registered in the first seven months of 2026, compared with 79 cases during the whole of 2025.
The figures were shared during a presentation at the International Conference on Forensic Psychiatry 2026 in Ohrid, in a session titled "Forensic aspects of family violence: epidemiology, mental health consequences and the therapeutic and forensic role of the psychiatrist."
Professor Dr. Slavica Arsova, of the Psychiatry Clinic, reported monthly peaks in the clinic's records: 27 patients in March, 23 in April and 21 in June. She said this rise coincided with a high-profile incident in Skopje when a mother and her child jumped from a balcony after prolonged family violence.
The study was a retrospective review of entries in the Moj Termin system for the period January 2025 to July 2026 and focused on patients diagnosed with stress-related disorders.
"The data should be interpreted as recorded medical cases and do not necessarily mean that domestic violence in society is increasing. The numbers may also be due to better recognition and documentation of cases, as well as more effective referral of patients to health institutions," said Professor Dr. Slavica Arsova.
Demographic analysis showed an average patient age of 40 years, with 19 individuals under 18 and 29 over 60. Women outnumbered men by about three to one. Clinic figures were presented alongside Ministry of Internal Affairs statistics that show reports of family violence rising from 4,421 in 2022 to 5,436 in 2025, with victims most often recorded as wives and former spouses.
Photo: press material from the event
