title: Mental health care reforms in Europe: Rehabilitation and social inclusion of people with mental illness in Russia.
abstract: Long-established Medico-Social Expert Commissions (MSECs) play a pivotal role in the Russian mental health system. They act as gatekeepers to pensions, rehabilitation, and employment services. This column describes their role in encouraging or impeding the social inclusion of people with mental illness, drawing on findings of a three-year project in Sverdlovsk Oblast. In Russia the emphasis remains on medical aspects of treatment, without adequate consideration of social and occupational rehabilitation. Links with local employment services are weak. To promote social inclusion, steps must be taken to encourage and facilitate cooperation and collaboration between the MSECs, employment services, and medical services.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, P.O. 35, David Goldberg Building, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom. rachel.jenkins@kcl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McDaid
authors.forename: Alexey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nikiforov
authors.forename: Angelina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Potasheva
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Watkins
authors.forename: Stuart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lancashire
authors.forename: Yevgeniy
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Samyshkin
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Huxley
authors.forename: Rifat
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Atun
mesh_terms: D004651:Employment; D018166:Health Care Reform; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D009042:Motivation; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012426:Russia; D012917:Social Adjustment