RAISR4D Suicide

Mental health in Russia: recent trends in urban settings

19/05/2026

AI Summary

Mental health in Russian cities shows major problems among youth and the elderly, calling for age-specific research and targeted interventions.
Suicide rates are rising in certain urban populations, necessitating urgent prevention measures and tailored public health responses.
Access to care is uneven with urbanisation; electronic media and migration distance research provide new data to guide policy and services.

Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2026 May 18. doi: 10.1097/YCO.0000000000001094. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: With this article, we aimed to outline the most recent data, official statistics, and research findings significant to understand current mental health trends in Russia. Furthermore, we, to the best of our knowledge, for the first time since the publication ‘wave’ of the pandemic-related articles, address mental health in Russia with particular focus on urbanicity.

RECENT FINDINGS: Major issues of mental health of the youth and the elderly in Russian cities, suicide and its growing rates in certain populations, maternal mental health, and medical personnel mental health were covered in this article. Beyond prevalence, access to care, and changes attributable to urbanization, we briefly discuss how electronic media became an emerging source of data for Russian researchers who investigated mental health in megacities, and address insights on associations between distance of migration track and risk of mental health conditions.

SUMMARY: Reported overview of findings can inform future research, policies, and mental health interventions tailored to the complexities of urban populations in Russia, and globally.

PMID:42154542 | DOI:10.1097/YCO.0000000000001094

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