Integrating mental health into primary care in Sverdlovsk.

Introduction Mental disorders occur as frequently in Russia as elsewhere, but the common mental disorders, especially depression, have gone largely unrecognised and undiagnosed by policlinic staff and area doctors.Methods This paper describes the impact and sustainability of a multi-component programme to facilitate the integration of mental health into primary care, by situation appraisal, policy dialogue, development of educational materials, provision of a training programme and the publication of standards and good practice guidelines to improve the primary care of mental disorders in the Sverdlovsk region of the Russian Federation.Results The multi-component programme has resulted in sustainable training about common mental disorders, not only of family doctors but also of other cadres and levels of professionals, and it has been well integrated with Sverdlovsk's overall programme of health sector reforms.