Clinical, epidemiological and sociocultural characteristics of psychiatric pathology in residents of Republic of Altai
Introduction. A marked mental pathology in the adult population of the Altai Republic was studied to create an information database, which can help optimise mental health care in the region. Material and methods. A massive clinical and statistical study of 996 adult patients of the Gorno-Altaisk Republican Psychiatric Hospital was conducted. The patients were divided into three groups. The first group consisted of Altaians (29.1%), the second one - of Russians (63.7%), the third one - of representatives of other ethnoses (7.2%). 205 patients with exogenic organic brain diseases were clinically studied and examined. Results and discussion. The structure of mental disorders without addictions was revealed: schizophrenia (34.5%), organic brain disease (20.9%), epilepsy (7.1%), mental deficiency (7.7%), old age psychosis (6, 6%), personality disorders (9.8%), other forms (13.4%). Men have organic brain disorders, personality disorders and diseases of addiction on a scale larger than that of women. Women tend to suffer from schizophrenia and old age psychosis. The patients of all the three ethnic groups have the same range of mental illnesses. The Altaians' indexes of schizophrenia, organic brain disease, epilepsy and mental deficiency are higher, those of old age psychosis and disease of addiction are lower. Personality disorder indexes are the same. The structure of mental pathology of the male patients of different ethnicity repeats the general structure. The Altai women's indexes of schizophrenia and epilepsy are higher, the Russian women's indexes of old age psychosis and disease of addiction are higher. It was discovered that these differences are caused by a complex of sociocultural factors. Patients with exogenic organic brain diseases can display various non-convulsive paroxysmal states, which are part of the main psycho-organic syndrome. Conclusion. It is necessary to take systematic preventive measures and improve the psychiatric treatment and rehabilitation of the Altai Republic population.