Substance misuse problems in Russia

Abstract

We visited St Petersburg in the autumn of 1999 as the guests of Professor Leonid Shpilenya, Director of the city's addiction services, and Dr Olga Khvognova, Director of Nurse Training, College Number Three. This was part of an exchange programme financed by the Know How Fund – Health Sector Small Partnerships Scheme (Russia). Two of the authors (P.F. & A.G.) have been involved in these exchanges for a number of years. The current project is a joint one, involving medical and nursing staff (Green et al, 2000).

Social Policy in a Cold Climate: Health and Social Welfare in Russia

“…Drug misuse is increasing within the Federation (Veeken 1998; Fleming et al 2001). While St Petersburg has 6,000 officially registered addicts, it is estimated unofficially that the figure is 80 to 120 thousand addicts (see also Aral et al 2005).…”

“…As Fleming et al (2001) note, harm reduction approaches are not popular with politicians or the public, and methadone treatment has been prohibited by the law in the past. A recent report has reviewed harm reduction initiatives in the context of both Russian and international law (Butler 2003).…”

Forensic psychiatry in Russia – the links with Britain evolve further

“…Changes in the criminal and civil law of the Russian Federation have also resulted in improved practices. However, social change in Russia has not been without its difficulties, including increases in economic hardship (Walberg et al, 1998), drug abuse (Green et al, 2000;Fleming et al, 2001), criminality (Mullerson, 1995) and mortality (Wise, 1997). Russia has been subject to international criticism regarding alleged human rights abuses in Chechnya, one of its autonomous republics in the northern caucasus (Mikheyev, 1996) and has also become the target of major terrorist acts, such as the siege of the Palace of Culture theatre in Moscow in October 2002.…”

“…Specific British psychiatric links with Russia have also been established in the spheres of substance misuse (Green et al, 2000;Fleming et al, 2001) and general psychiatry (Collins, 1995). Furthermore, assistance has been offered as a result of concern regarding the psychiatric diagnosis and care of children in Russia who have been orphaned and admitted to institutions for abandoned children (Cox, 1997).…”

Forensic psychiatry in Russia – the links with Britain evolve further

“…The revitalisation of psychiatric services in Russia (and indeed in other post-communist East European societies) has been assisted by organisations such as the Geneva Initiative on Psychiatry (www.geneva-initiative.org), in which British and other European psychiatrists have continued to play an ongoing role. Specific British psychiatric links with Russia have also been established in the spheres of substance misuse (Green et al, 2000;Fleming et al, 2001) and general psychiatry (Collins, 1995). Furthermore, assistance has been offered as a result of concern regarding the psychiatric diagnosis and care of children in Russia who have been orphaned and admitted to institutions for abandoned children (Cox, 1997).…”