Changes in national rates of psychiatric beds and incarceration in Central Eastern Europe and Central Asia from 1990-2019: A retrospective database analysis.

Background: Numbers of psychiatric beds (general, forensic, and residential) and prison populations have been considered to be indicators of institutionalisation of people with mental illnesses. The present study aimed to assess changes of those indicators across Central Eastern Europe and Central Asia (CEECA) over the last three decades to capture how care has developed during that historical period.

Methods: We retrospectively obtained data on numbers of psychiatric beds and prison populations from 30 countries in CEECA between 1990 and 2019.

Consumption of Alcohol Surrogates Among Alcohol-Dependent Women.

This is the first in-depth study of alcohol and surrogate drinking patterns, types, reasons, and correlates among alcohol-dependent women in Belarus. The structured interviews were performed in 2013 with 103 alcohol-dependent women admitted to a narcological clinic in Grodno, Belarus. The results suggest that at least 30.

Alcohol consumption and pancreatitis mortality in Russia.

Context: Pancreatitis is a major public health problem with high associated economic costs. The incidence of pancreatitis has increased in many European countries in recent decade. Accumulated research and empirical evidence suggests that excessive alcohol consumption is a major risk factor for both acute and chronic pancreatitis.

Cognitive functions and neuropsychological status of medical students with different attitudes to alcohol use: a study conducted at the Belarusian State Medical University, Minsk, Belarus.

This article presents findings on the effects of alcohol use on cognitive performance, functional (well-being, activity, mood) and neuropsychological status and anxiety levels of medical students. A total of 265 medical students (107 males and 158 females) from the Belarusian State Medical University, Minsk (Belarus) were administered questionnaire, containing the AUDIT, CAGE, MAST, and PAS, and other alcohol related questions. Academic Performance questionnaire was administered together with other tests.

Adolescent binge drinking and risky health behaviours: findings from northern Russia.

Background: Some evidence suggests that in recent years the prevalence of heavy drinking has increased among Russian adolescents. However, as yet, little is known about either heavy alcohol consumption or its relationship with other adolescent health risk behaviours in Russia. The aim of this study therefore was to investigate the association between binge drinking and health risk behaviours among adolescents in Russia.

Affordability of alcohol and alcohol-related mortality in Belarus.

Alcohol abuse has numerous adverse health and social consequences. The consumer response to changes in alcohol affordability is an important issue on alcohol policy debates. Studies from many countries have shown an inverse relationship between alcohol prices and alcohol consumption in the population.

Psychosocial distress as a risk factor of ischemic heart disease mortality.

Background: Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the industrialized world. Recent research evidence suggests that psychosocial distress has been implicated as both a precursor to IHD and a significant risk factor for death in those with established IHD. According to WHO, psychosocial distress will be the most harmful risk factor for the development of IHD in the near future.

Estimation of alcohol attributable fraction of mortality in Russia.

Accumulated research evidence suggests that alcohol is a major contributor to premature deaths toll in Russia. The aim of the present study was to estimate the premature adult mortality attributable to alcohol abuse in Russia on the basis of aggregate-level data of all-cause mortality and alcohol consumption. With this purpose age-standardized sex-specific male and female all-cause mortality data for the period 1980-2005 and data on overall alcohol consumption were analyzed by means ARIMA time series analysis.

Alcohol consumption and ischemic heart disease mortality in Russia.

It has been repeatedly emphasized that alcohol provides the most plausible explanation for both the high rate of cardiovascular mortality rate and its dramatic fluctuations in Russia over recent decades, while other traditional risk factors identified in epidemiological studies have little predictive value. The aim of this study was to examine the relation between alcohol consumption and ischemic heart disease (IHD) mortality rates in Russia. A ge-standardized sex-specific male and female IHD mortality data for the period 1980-2005 and data on overall alcohol consumption were analyzed by means of ARIMA time series analysis.

Alcohol poisonings and fatal accidents in Belarus.

Background: High accidental deaths rate in the former Soviet republics (FSR) and its profound fluctuation over the past decades have attracted considerable interest. The mounting body of evidence point to binge drinking pattern as a potentially important contributor to accident mortality crisis in FSR.

Aim: The aim of this study was to estimate the aggregate-level effect of binge drinking on the accident mortality rate in the former Soviet Slavic republic Belarus.

Contribution of alcohol in accident related mortality in Belarus: a time series approach.

Background: High accidental death rates in the former Soviet republics (FSR) and its profound fluctuation over the past decades have attracted considerable interest. The research evidences emphasize binge drinking pattern as a potentially important contributor to accident mortality crisis in FSR. In line with this evidence we assume that higher level of alcohol consumption in conjunction with binge drinking pattern results in close aggregate-level association between alcohol psychoses and accidental death rates in the former Soviet Slavic republic Belarus.

Prevalence of alcohol-related problems among the Slavs and Arabs in Belarus: a university survey.

Background: Alcohol abuse is a major problem among students in Belarus. Alcohol-related problems might vary among students of different cultural backgrounds.

Objectives: To examine the different patterns in alcohol use and related problems among students of different cultural groups--the Slavs and Arabs, in major Belarusian universities.

The effects of beverage type on homicide rates in Russia, 1970-2005.

Unlabelled: INTRODUCTION AND AIMS. Previous research from Western Europe and North America has suggested that consuming different types of alcoholic beverage may have differing effects on homicide rates both within and between countries. The aim of this study was to examine the relation between the consumption of different beverage types and homicide rates in Russia across the later-Soviet and post-Soviet periods.

Beverage-specific alcohol sales and violent mortality in Russia.

Background: High violent mortality rate in Russia and its profound fluctuation over recent decades have attracted considerable interest. A mounting body of evidence points to the binge drinking pattern as a potentially important contributor to the violent mortality crisis in Russia. In line with this evidence, we assume that higher level of vodka consumption in conjunction with binge drinking pattern results in close aggregate-level association between vodka sales and violent mortality rates in Russia.

Psychosocial distress as a risk factor of asthma mortality.

Background: Asthma is a mayor public health problems and its prevalence has risen in recent decades world wide. Various explanations have been proposed to explain this trend including air pollution, aeroallergens, diet, infections and tobacco smoke. However, focus on biological risk factors has not fully explained this trend.

Per capita alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm in Belarus, 1970-2005.

Background: Although alcohol seems to be an important determinant of the mortality crisis in the former Soviet Republic of Belarus, little systematic research has been done on the relationship between alcohol consumption and harm at the aggregate level. The aims of the present study were to estimate the effect of per capita alcohol consumption on all-cause mortality, mortality from alcohol poisoning and hospital admissions for alcohol psychosis in Belarus.

Methods: Annual data on the three outcomes and alcohol sale per capita for the period 1970-2005 were analysed using the Box-Jenkins technique.

Aggregate level beverage specific effect of alcohol sale on myocardial infarction mortality rate.

Background: The pronounced fluctuations in cardiovascular mortality in the countries of the former Soviet Union over the past decades have attracted considerable interest. The mounting evidence suggests that binge drinking pattern is a potentially important contributor to higher cardiovascular mortality rate in the former Soviet republics. There is assumption that if occasional heavy drinking of strong spirits increases the risk of cardiovascular mortality, countries where this is predominant drinking pattern should display positive association between spirits consumption and cardiovascular mortality at the aggregate level.

Alcohol poisoning in Belarus: a comparison of urban-rural trends, 1990-2005.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of alcohol poisoning in urban and rural regions of Belarus in the post-Soviet period.

Methods: All-age male and female alcohol-poisoning mortality and population data were obtained for the years 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2005 for urban and rural regions of Belarus. These data were subsequently recalculated into three age categories and directly standardized.

Alcohol psychoses and all-cause mortality in Belarus.

Background: The burden of alcohol-related problems in central and eastern Europe is the highest in the world. The level of alcohol consumption in Belarus is among the highest in the world, with an annual consumption rate estimated to be 14 litres of pure alcohol per capita. The social, economic and political turmoil that Belarus has experiences in the years following the dissolution of the Soviet Union has been accompanied by a substantial rise in all-cause mortality.

Homicide in post-Soviet Belarus: urban-rural trends.

Background: To investigate the occurrence of homicide in urban and rural regions of Belarus in the post-Soviet period.

Methods: All-age male and female homicide mortality and population data were obtained for the years 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2005 for urban and rural regions of Belarus. These data were recalculated into three age categories and directly standardised.