Comrade Psychiatrist

Reviews the book, The Structure of Psychiatry in the Soviet Union by Edward Babayan, Yu. G. Shashina, Vladimir N. Brobov, and Boris Meerovich (see record 1986-97166-000). The authors set themselves the task of describing the organization and delivery of psychiatric services and research in the Soviet Union. Given the differences between the capitalistic and Communistic societies, the question arises as to whether these differences might be reflected in the nature, number, and severity of psychiatric illnesses that develop in two such contrasting countries. This was the major thought in mind with which this reviewer approached this highly interesting book. It is also fascinating to read about the emphasis given biological psychiatry in the early development of Soviet psychiatry, as opposed to the American interest in Freudian techniques and constructs during the first half of the 20th century. The authors have succeeded in their goal, namely, describing the evolution, development, and organization of psychiatric services in the Soviet Union, although some data dealing with the reliability and frequency of major psychiatric diagnosis would have been welcome. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)