The day before the anniversary of the greatest of the student and civic gathering on March 15, 2025. in Belgrade, in the center Sedan a discussion was held on a topic that is rarely talked about since the student protests began to change everyday life in Serbia. Namely, how much did this time leave a mark on the mental health of those who participate in the movement?
Because, as could be heard at the very beginning of the evening, during all these months since the beginning of the protest, there is often talk about politics and political goals, and less about the people themselves who carry this movement, writes Deutsche says.
Some surprisingly positive results
The backbone of the discussion, organized by Berlin psychologist Andrej Todorović, was the preliminary findings of research on mental health during student and civil protests in Serbia, conducted by a team of researchers from the faculties of philosophy in Belgrade and Novi Sad and from the Faculty of Special Education and Rehabilitation in Belgrade.
Ljiljana Mihić and Sara Dojčinović from the Department of Psychology of the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade presented the preliminary results of the study at the forum, which showed some expected but also positively surprising findings.
Sara Dojčinović, when asked by DW about the main findings of the study, which was conducted on 664 participants in January and February of this year, pointed out that encountering everyday pressures and threats does not always have to result in exclusively negative consequences.
Photo: FoNet/APPolice action against demonstrators, Belgrade, August 16, 2025.
"Preliminary results show that exposure to police and parapolice violence during protests and blockades is associated with worse mental health indicators, but also that the picture is not entirely simple," she says.
"We see the association of violence with higher levels of negative affectivity, anxiety, depression and PTSD symptoms, but at the same time, when they are accompanied by greater social support, the availability of professional support and collective engagement, we also see more positive affect and post-traumatic growth," adds Dojčinović.
As he explains, people react to difficult experiences not only through suffering, but at the same time through the relationship with the collective and participation in protests "build resilience, connection and a sense of meaning".
Photo: FoNet / Milica VučkovićSerbian students in revolt
People feel good when they feel in control
Simply put: people cope with pressure much better if they are also supported by the feeling that they are not alone.
Aleksandar Dimitrijević, panel participant and psychologist from Berlin, explained how, especially among young people, a sense of community can alleviate the negative experiences that accompany protests from the very beginning, which are primarily related to pressures from both the state apparatus and the public.
A crucial role in this is played by the feeling that something can finally change for the better.
"As a rule, people feel much better psychologically when they have the feeling that they have things in their own hands. This is professionally called locus of control. If I am left to someone else to decide everything, as a rule, I feel worse," says Dimitrijević and adds:
"These young people feel good because they feel that they are contributing, that they are doing something, that something is up to them. They have hope to make a difference and they have a sense of community support and those are all wonderful things."
Photo: FoNet / Milica VučkovićStudent protests began to change everyday life in Serbia.
Encouraging gestures from citizens
Anja Azdejković and Emilija Lazarević from the Faculty of Biology in Belgrade confirmed this feeling to the guests of the Berlin tribune. For them, the last year has been, as they said, the most exciting and positive segment of life.
"Practically, we are carried by feelings of community and solidarity, not only among students, but also by citizens," said Azdejković. Special energy is given by small gestures of citizens, such as signs of attention in the form of food or simply verbal support, he adds.
This is confirmed by the study itself, as Sara Dojčinović told DW.
"In such collective and politically charged circumstances, when people see someone suffering violence or injustice, it can foster a sense of solidarity, the need to support each other and find meaning together," says this scientist.
Photo: FoNet / Milica VučkovićRally against the government in Belgrade
An opponent more dangerous than the one in the nineties
When asked about the students' "condition" to see their project through to the end, the answers are more vague.
"This student protest is high-quality, massive, but I would say that the opponent is much more dangerous than the opponent from the nineties. I have the feeling that these students make very smart and thoughtful decisions and are fully committed to the cause, but the outcome is difficult to predict," Dimitrijević concluded.
A lot also depends on the endurance of the protest participants, who are faced with the stage of making important decisions. The aspect of community, as Dojčinović concludes, can play a crucial role in resisting the negative consequences of pressure.
"It is important to emphasize that the consequences are not unequivocal, that is, the answer does not have to be either-or; people can be both exhausted and empowered at the same time. What our research preliminarily points to is that social and professional support play a key role."
