1/ Residents of the Russian regions adjoining the Ukrainian war zone are complaining about soldiers' aggression, crime and alcoholism. Russia reportedly has few facilities to treat post-traumatic stress disorder and plans to tackle the problem with propaganda and censorship. ⬇️ 
2/ PTSD is a common problem among soldiers who have been exposed to the traumas of war. Many Soviet Afghanistan veterans suffered from it but received little help from the government, leading to an epidemic of crime, domestic violence and alcohol abuse in the 1980s and 1990s.
3/ The war in Ukraine is on a far bigger and bloodier scale than Afghanistan – Russia has already lost at least four times as many men in Ukraine in one year as it did in 10 years in Afghanistan. There are also previously unknown stressors, such as round-the-clock drone strikes.
4/ Not surprisingly, many Russian soldiers are reportedly suffering from PTSD. According to the VChK-OGPU Telegram channel, Russian military psychologists have been working on a strategy to tackle the problems this is causing within Russia.
5/ VChK-OGPU reports: "A meeting was held on this issue with the involvement of clinical, social and military psychologists, including the chief freelance specialist psychiatrist of the Moscow Health Department Kostyuk, …
6/ … as well as the deputy head of the Department of Psychological Work of the Ministry of Defence [Major General Andrey] Filatov."
7/ The meeting discussed the "mental problems of residents of the regions bordering the war zone due to the attitude of war veterans towards them, associated with aggression, crime and alcoholism, …
8/ …as well as as a result of contacts with persons released from places of detention from among the members of the Wagner private military company".
As a result, the participants agreed to take a number of "effective measures":
As a result, the participants agreed to take a number of "effective measures":
9/ – "in public speeches of the highest authorities, to actively emphasize the deeds of Russian servicemen, gratitude for their sacrifices, justice" and righteousness of the war and "guarantees that veterans of the Special Military Operation (SMO) will not be forgotten…
10/ …and will not be left without attention of the state";
– "in media information messages, to avoid associating SMO veterans with aggression, illegal acts and social degradation, as well as persons released from places of detention";
– "in media information messages, to avoid associating SMO veterans with aggression, illegal acts and social degradation, as well as persons released from places of detention";
11/ – "dispatch teams of psychologists to regions bordering the combat zone to organise and conduct psychological counselling for citizens experiencing war-related stress";
12/ – "Establish proactive work in regional social protection departments. Create an institution of "social neighbourhood officers", actively visit families of veterans of the SMO, involve psychologists and medical workers in this work";
13/ – "Organise preparation of methodological recommendations on psychological prevention and assistance to veterans to organise such work in the regions."
14/ According to VChK-OGPU, Russia's underfunded and understaffed mental health services are in a poor condition and are ill-prepared to address the surge in demand from traumatised veterans. The meeting heard the following statistics:
15/ 🔺 Out of 244 psychiatric hospitals in Russia, 14 are in disrepair, 20 require reconstruction, and 184 require major repairs.
🔺 Of the 372 neuropsychiatric dispensaries, 3 are in disrepair, 10 require reconstruction, and 137 are in need of major repairs.
🔺 Of the 372 neuropsychiatric dispensaries, 3 are in disrepair, 10 require reconstruction, and 137 are in need of major repairs.
16/ 🔺 58 new psychiatric hospitals and 43 more neuropsychiatric dispensaries are needed across Russia to meet demand.
🔺 Russia has far too few psychiatrists and psychologists due to low wages deterring them from joining medical organisations, or driving them out.
🔺 Russia has far too few psychiatrists and psychologists due to low wages deterring them from joining medical organisations, or driving them out.
17/🔺 The staffing of psychiatrists at general hospitals stands at only 82.1% of the numbers needed. For children's psychiatrists, the figure is 80.8%. For adolescent psychiatrists, 73.8%.
18/ 🔺 Psychotherapist staffing is much worse, standing at only 57.8%. There are also major shortages of non-medical specialists delivering mental health care, including clinical psychologists, social workers and social workers.
19/ For all these reasons, VChK-OGPU says, rather than tackling the war trauma, the Russian authorities have "decided to “treat” the mobilized and residents with propaganda, and state media were forbidden to write about aggressive behavior against civilians". /end
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