Independent Psychiatric Association

Established in 1992, IPA focuses on creating a new legal infrastructure for psychiatric care and introducing modern educational and clinical techniques into Russian psychiatry. In September 1995 in Moscow, IPA, together with the World Psychiatric Association and the World Association for Medical Law and in collaboration with the Russian Ministry of Health and the Moscow Mental Hospital No. 1, co-sponsored a five-day seminar for legal and psychiatric professionals on "Bridging Gaps in Russian Psychiatry: Legal Regulation of Psychiatric Care in Russia and Other Countries."

Each year at IPA's initiative professionals from around Russia gather to discuss the state of psychiatry and the work of the organization, reviewing progress made and setting the upcoming year's agenda.

Another program of the IPA is its Commission for Moral Implications of Psychiatric Care. Since 1989, this body has responded to individuals who requested that their case be looked into by the commission. The commission will review the medical history of a patient, conduct its own exam, and render a decision, which is then provided to both the patient and his or her regular doctor. If the Commission agrees, patients who still have grievances can then pursue legal action using the Commission's report as evidence. The Commission meets with patients two days per week to conduct case research.

Since 1991 IPA has published and distributed across the NIS the Journal of the Independent Psychiatric Association, a quarterly scientific/academic journal for professionals in the field.

Last updated:    January 1997

A print version of much of the information contained in this NIS Third Sector Organizations section can be found in the The Post-Soviet Handbook (Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, 1999).

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