Skip to main content

The Barents project in psychiatry: a systematic comparative mental health services study between Northern Norway and Archangelsk County

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology volume 42, pages 131–139 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

There is virtually no readily accessible systematically recorded evidence on how the organization of mental health services in Europe’s largest country, Russia, may differ from other national systems. This study systematically compares the mental health services in Archangelsk County and Northern Norway using instruments developed for trans-cultural use.

Methods

The European Service Mapping Schedule (ESMS) and The International Classification of Mental Health Care (ICMHC) were used to describe: (i) resources, organisation and utilisation of the services; (ii) their decentralisation and differentiation; (iii) some interventions delivered by the mental health service units (n = 132) in both regions.

Results

The Norwegian services are more decentralised and differentiated, while the Russian services are largely hospital-based. The GPs are of considerable importance to the Norwegian services, functioning as gatekeepers-both centrally and peripherally. In contrast, the GP model is still poorly established in Archangelsk County. There are more units for long term stay in the Russian services than in Norway. General health care and taking over daily living activities are more organised in Archangelsk County, while psychopharmacological treatment and psychosocial interventions are more developed in Norway.

Conclusion

The study has revealed several differences in resources, organisation and utilisation of the mental health services between the two compared areas. The very large variations indicate that underlying local patterns of service delivering must be further investigated and taken into account in the planning of the services development.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

43,34 €

Price includes VAT (Finland)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

References

  1. Thornicroft G, Tansella M (1999) The Mental health matrix. Cambridge University Press

  2. Johnson S, Zinkler M, Priebe S (2001) Mental health service provision in England. Acta psychiatr Scand 104 (Suppl. 410):47–55

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Haug H-J, Rössler W (1999) Deinstitutionalization of psychiatric patients in central Europe. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 249:115–122

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Gater R, Jordanova V, Maric N, et al. (2005) Pathways to psychiatric care in Eastern Europe. Br J Psychiatry 186:529–535

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Tomov T (2001) Mental health reforms in Eastern Europe. Acta psychiatr Scand 104 (Suppl. 410):21–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Puras D, Germanavicius A, Povilaitis R, et al. (2004) Lithuania mental health country profile. Int Rev Psychiatry 16(1–2):117–125

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Švab V, Tomori M (2002) Mental health services in Slovenia. Int J Social Psychiatry 48:177–188

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. World Health Organization (2005) Mental health declaration for Europe. WHO, Copenhagen

  9. World Health Organization (2005) Mental health action plan for Europe. WHO, Copenhagen

  10. Tansella M, Thornicroft G (1998) A conceptual framework for mental health services: the matrix model. Psychological Medicine 28:503–508

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Johnson S, Kuhlmann R, et al. (2000) The European Service Mapping Schedule (ESMS): development of an instrument for the description and classification of the mental health services. Acta psychiatr Scand 102 (Suppl. 405):14–23

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Salvador-Carulla L, Romero C, Martinez A, et al. (2000) Assessment instruments: standardization of the European Service Mapping Schedule (ESMS) in Spain. Acta Psychiatr Scand 102 (Suppl. 405):24–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Becker T, Hülsmann S, Knudsen HC, et al. (2002) Provision of services for people with schizophrenia in five European regions. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 37:465–474

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Brieger P, Wetzig F, Böcker FM, et al. (2003) Institutions and services of psychiatric care in Saxony-Anhalt: assessment with the European Service Mapping Schedule. European Psychiatry 18:145–147

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Salvador-Carulla L, Tibaldi G, Johnson S, et al. (2005) Patterns of mental health services utilisation in Italy and Spain: an investigation using the European Service Mapping Schedule. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 40:149–159

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  16. De Jong A, (2000) Development of the International Classification of Mental Health Care (ICMHC). Acta psychiatr Scand 102 (Suppl. 405):8–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Munizza C, Tibaldi G, Cesano S, et al. (2000) Mental health care in Piedmont: a description of its structure and components using a new technology for service assessment. Acta psychiatr Scand 102 (Suppl. 405):47–58

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Gater R, Amaddeo F, Tansella M, Jackson G, Goldberg D (1995) A comparison of community-based care for schizophrenia in South Verona and South Manchester Br J Psychiatry 166:344–352

    PubMed  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Amaddeo F, Gater R, Goldberg D, Tansella M (1995) Affective and neurotic disorders in community-based services: a comparative study in South Verona and South Manchester. Acta Psychiatr Scand 91:386–395

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Rogaev E (2004) Academic psychiatry in Russia: new challenges. Mol Psychiatry 9:975–976

    PubMed  Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Poloshij B, Saposhnikova I (2000) Psychiatric reform in Russia. Acta Psychiatr Scand Suppl 104 (Suppl. 410):56–62

    Google Scholar 

  22. Polubinskaya SV (2000) Reform in psychiatry in post-Soviet countries. Acta Psychiatr Scand 101:106–108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Collins IP (1995) A visit to St Petersburg: an experience of psychiatry in Russia. Psychiatric Bulletin 19:364–366

    Google Scholar 

  24. Iastrebov VS (2001) Modern psychiatric service and criteria for the estimation of its activity. Zn Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 101(3):29–36

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Yastrebov VS (2001) Protection of mental health – a priority task of the state and the society. Zn Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 101(3):6–9

    Google Scholar 

  26. Dolgov SA (1998) A new approach to analysis of quality of psychiatric hospital care. Zn Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 8:39–41

    Google Scholar 

  27. Yastrebov VS, Solokhina TA, Shevchenko LS, Rytik EG (1998) Psychiatry: management and cost efficiency. Zn Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 1:5–9

    Google Scholar 

  28. Kazakovtsev BA (1998) Network planning of psychiatric services and professional education in contemporary psychiatry. Zn Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2:41–44

    Google Scholar 

  29. Hansen V, Øiesvold T (2004) Community psychiatry in the Sub-Arctic. Experiences with the shift from hospital-based to community-based psychiatric services in Northern Norway. Epidemiologia e Psichiatria Sociale 13:73–77

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Sørgaard K, Sandlund M, Heikkilä J, et al. (2003) Schizophrenia and contact with health and social services: A Nordic multi-centre study. Nord J Psychiatry 574:253–261

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Holst H, Severinsson E (2003) A study of collaboration inpatient treatment between the community psychiatric health services and a psychiatric hospital in Norway. J Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing 10:650–658

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Øiesvold T (1999) Psychiatric health care utilization. The Nordic comparative study on sectorized psychiatry. Thesis. Department group of psychiatry, University of Oslo. Division of psychiatry, Ullevål hospital. Nordland psychiatric hospital, Salten psychiatric centre. Bodø

  33. Ruud T (1996) Evaluering av psykiatriske helsetjenester: erfaringer og resultat fra en utprøving av noen metoder. Statens helsetilsyn. Delutredning 7. Oslo

  34. Kvamme OJ, Mainz J, Helin A, et al. (1998) Oversettele av spørreskjema. Nordisk Medicin 10:363–366

    Google Scholar 

  35. SPSS inc: SPSS 11.0 manual. Chicago: 2001

  36. Goldberg D, Huxley P (1980) Mental illness in the community; the pathway to psychiatric care. Tavistock Publications, London

    Google Scholar 

  37. Vidar Halsteinli (red) (2004) SAMDATA psykisk helsevern. Sektorrapport 2003. SINTEF Helse.: TAPIR UTTRYKK. Trondheim

  38. Kazakovtsev BA (2003) Modern forms of psychiatric care. Zn Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 9:66–68

    Google Scholar 

  39. Dmitrieva TB (2004) Social psychiatry as a priority trend in psychiatric science and practice. Vest Ross Akad Med Nauk 7:11–5

    Google Scholar 

  40. Prokudin VN (2001) Psychotherapeutic service in general somatic hospital. Zn Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 5:49–51

    Google Scholar 

  41. Thornicroft G, Tansella M (2004) Components of a modern mental health service: a pragmatic balance of community and hospital care. Br J Psychiatry 1856:283–290

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Thornicroft G, Rose D (2005) Mental health in Europe. BMJ 330:613–614

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Rese A, Balabanova N, Danishevski K, McKee M, Sheaff R (2005) Implementing general practice in Russia: getting beyond the first steps. BMJ 331:204–207

    PubMed  Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Nazarenko GI, Korkina MV, Elfimova EV (2004) Methodological aspects of psychiatric care for patients of general hospitals and outpatient clinics. Zn Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 5:53–56

    Google Scholar 

  45. Prokudin VN (2002) Psychiatric service in a general hospital. Zn Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2:63–67

    Google Scholar 

  46. Smulevich AB, Syrkin AL, Kozyrev VN, Drobigev MU (2000) Psychopharmacology and organisation of psychiatric care in a general hospital. Clin Med 10:22–27

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank the staff of the mental health services in Northern Norway and Archangelsk County for their cooperativeness to participate in our study. We thank also Professor G. Thornicroft, S. Johnson, T. Ruud and E. Proselkova for their comments and support.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Nordland Hospital, Kløveråsveien 1, 8002, Bodø, Norway

    Grigory Rezvyy MD & Terje Øiesvold MD, PhD

  2. University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway

    Terje Øiesvold MD, PhD

  3. Northern State Medical University, Archangelsk, Russia

    Alexander Parniakov MD

  4. Archangelsk County Mental Hospital, Archangelsk, Russia

    Oleg Ponomarev MD

  5. Archangelsk County Psychiatric Dispensary, Archangelsk, Russia

    Olga Lazurko MD

  6. University Hospital in Northern Norway, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway

    Reidun Olstad MD, PhD

Authors
  1. Grigory Rezvyy MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Terje Øiesvold MD, PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Alexander Parniakov MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Oleg Ponomarev MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Olga Lazurko MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Reidun Olstad MD, PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Grigory Rezvyy MD.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rezvyy, G., Øiesvold, T., Parniakov, A. et al. The Barents project in psychiatry: a systematic comparative mental health services study between Northern Norway and Archangelsk County. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 42, 131–139 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-006-0141-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-006-0141-4

Keywords

  • psychiatry
  • mental health services
  • cross-cultural