Psychiatry in the Republic of Belarus

The Republic of Belarus (ROB) covers 207 600 km2 and has a population of about 10 million (Ministry of Statistics and Analysis, 2005). It was a member state of the former Soviet Union until it gained independence in 1991. Belarus is located between Poland, Lithuania and Latvia in the west, Russia in the east, and Ukraine in the south. Seventy-two per cent of the population live in an urban environment and 28% in rural areas. The average life span for men is 63 years and for women 75 years (Ministry of Public Health, 2005).