Compulsory admission procedures of patients with mental disorders vary between countries in Europe. The Ethics Committee of the European Psychiatric Association (EPA) launched a survey on involuntary admission procedures of patients with mental disorders in 40 countries to gather information from all National Psychiatric Associations that are members of the EPA to develop recommendations for improving involuntary admission processes and promote voluntary care.

The survey focused on legislation of involuntary admissions and key actors involved in the admission procedure as well as most common reasons for involuntary admissions.

We analyzed the survey categorical data in themes, which highlight that both medical and legal actors are involved in involuntary admission procedures.

We conclude that legal reasons for compulsory admission should be reworded in order to remove stigmatization of the patient, that raising awareness about involuntary admission procedures and patient rights with both patients and family advocacy groups is paramount, that communication about procedures should be widely available in lay-language for the general population, and that training sessions and guidance should be available for legal and medical practitioners. Finally, people working in the field need to be constantly aware about the ethical challenges surrounding compulsory admissions.

There is a lack of attention on generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in the psychiatrists’ education programs in Russia. The consequence of this is difficult to estimate because of insufficiency of the GAD epidemiology in Russia.

Are estimation of the comparative prevalence of diagnosis of GAD among other anxiety and stress related disorders; psychiatrists’ knowledge about GAD and theirs therapeutic approaches.

The invitations to survey were sent by e-mail to members of the Russian Society of Psychiatrists; 888 psychiatrists took part in the survey. Twenty-six percent of them worked in inpatient departments, 43% – in outpatient departments, 15% – in somatic services, 17% – researchers and university professors.

A total of 83% of respondents have diagnosed GAD at least once during last year. Most often GAD was diagnosed by psychiatrists of somatic services. Mixed anxiety and depressive disorder was diagnosed in 2.5 times more often than GAD; adjustment disorders – in 2.1 times. Doctors have noted that among their patients with other mental disorders 26% have chronic anxiety, but most of doctors do not establish the comorbid diagnosis of GAD for these patients. Only a quarter of doctors consider that detachment of GAD from other anxiety disorders is based on the features of etiology and pathogenesis. In the treatment of GAD together with SSRIs, SNRIs, and pregabalin prescribing, doctors often prescribe benzodiazepines, atypical anxiolytics (hydroxyzine, buspirone) and low-potency antipsychotics (alimemazine, chlorprothixene).

Increasing attention to GAD in the psychiatrists’ education programs may improve diagnosis and treatment of this disorder in Russia.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.