This article is only available in the PDF format. Download the PDF to view the article, as well as its associated figures and tables.
The authors state that among other achievements of socialism in the Soviet Union is the substantial progress made in the field of "practical" psychiatry, that is, in the treatment and care of the mentally ill. The efforts of Soviet psychiatrists of late have been centered on the reorganization of facilities and methods of treatment, rather than on purely academic problems. The main aim is to assist the victims of mental disorders in becoming useful members of the community by training and guiding them in their efforts to obtain gainful occupations after recovery. Sixteen articles are devoted to discussion of the types of modern "psychiatric hospitals" in the Moscow district and the methods of their organization. The importance of occupational therapy is stressed, and it is emphasized that without facilities for occupational therapy a psychiatric hospital is "unthinkable." The patients are encouraged to keep at their former type of work if