Most patients with mental disorders can be effectively treated with therapies such as pharmacological therapy, psychotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy. These treatments can be used individually or in combination. However, some patients either do not respond to therapy or experience severe side effects. It is for these patients that neurosurgical procedures may be considered. Psychosurgery is considered brain surgery used to alleviate painful mental manifestations or to mitigate the course of mental illness. Psychosurgery can be talked about as a way to correct mental disorders. It should be considered as a link in the system of treatment and rehabilitation of patients with therapeutically resistant mental disorders.
Despite the centuries-old history of psychosurgery, the question of the expediency of using surgical methods for the treatment of mental disorders still remains one of the intractable ones. Today, psychosurgery is a low-traumatic operation, which is associated with targeted and dosed interventions on the deep parts of the human brain. This review describes the main stages in the development of psychosurgery, the main surgical methods used to treat mental disorders, and also discusses the future probable directions of neurosurgical treatment in a psychiatric clinic. The argumentation for the use of this type of treatment in the formation of manifestations of therapeutic resistance is given. Taking into account the diametrality in assessing the feasibility of using the methods of psychosurgery, the concluding part of the article discusses the pros and cons of surgical treatment of mental disorders.

Getting medical education in Russia is becoming more and more popular among foreign students every year. The need to study foreign students’ social and psychological adaptation in medical universities is caused by the increased need to train high-qualified doctors not only in our country, but also in the world community.
The goal was to identify the features of social and psychological adaptation of foreign first-year students of the medical University.
Methods. The study involved 131 first-year students, including 56 Indian students studying at the international faculty of General medicine of the Northern state medical University (31 boys and 25 girls); and 75 Russian students of the pediatric and medical faculties (25 boys and 50 girls). The diagnostic approach in the interethnic and gender aspects based on the methodology of socio-psychological adaptation of K.Rogers-R. Diamond, modified by A. K. Osnitsky
Main results. The parameters of social and psychological adaptation of foreign first-year students corresponded to the average normative indicators, Russian students were at high level of adaptation. Foreign students, in General, had a positive attitude to themselves and others, including opportunities to contact colleagues and patients, experience average emotional comfort in interpersonal relationships and were quite active in activities. The results of the assessment of Russian students indicated a high degree of acceptance of themselves and other people, as well as emotional comfort, responsibility and high activity.
Conclusions the applied aspect of the problem can be implemented in the development of programs for psychological and pedagogical support of foreign students at the initial stage of study at the Medical University.

A cohort cross-sectional study of the attitude of the population to vaccination against coronavirus infection COVID-19 was carried out using a specially designed questionnaire for mass filling, located on Internet resources 2 months after the start of mass vaccination in Russia. A total of 4172 people were examined at the age from 18 to 81 years. Among the respondents, there were different tendencies in relation to vaccination. Of the total sample, 35.7% of respondents consider vaccination useful, 32.2%—doubt its effectiveness, 8.7%—consider vaccination unnecessary, 12.2%—dangerous, indifference to vaccination was formed in 5.9% of respondents. They indicated that they do not plan to be vaccinated, 30.8%, postpones their decision until more remote data on the results and effectiveness of vaccination are obtained—34.7%, were vaccinated at the time of the study—12.2%. Young people are less focused on vaccination than middle-aged and older people. Among the factors that are associated with the attitude towards vaccination are age, gender, education, fear of possible complications, fear of contracting a coronavirus infection, concern for the health of their loved ones, anxiety about the current situation with coronavirus in general. The reports of scientists, doctors and experts in this field are essential for shaping attitudes towards vaccination. The study results should be considered as the targets for vaccination behavior improvement psychosocial interventions for different social and age population groups

The purpose of the study: to clarify the prevalence of non-psychotic mental disorders in the population of patients suffered a cerebral stroke, and to assess the potential use of neurotropic drugs for the correction of certain types of psychopathological syndromes. Materials and methods: 180 patients were examined in the recovery period of brain stroke (the average duration of stroke was 20.7±6.6 months): 78 men and 102 women aged 39 to 90 years (the average age was 64.8±11.2). All patients underwent neuroimaging, experimental psychological research and a psychiatrist’s examination. Results: as a result of the survey, almost all patients in the recovery period of a brain stroke (90.5%) were found non-psychotic mental disorders with a predominance of psychoasthenic syndrome and mnestic-intellectual disorders that develop because of the predomimamt lesion of the brain frontal lobes. As a result of isolated neurotropic therapy, several therapeutic tasks were solved: treatment of focal neurological deficit, reduction of asthenia and the severity of mnestico-intellectual disorders, reduced drug load on the patient. Conclusion: the majority of patients in the recovery period of stroke have various psychopathological disorders, but due to somatic burden can not always receive psychotropic therapy. In this case, it is important to use new approaches to the correction of psychopathological disorders. The use of isolated neurotropic therapy has shown high efficiency in correcting the psychopathological component of stroke, which allows solving several rehabilitation tasks. Research on various aspects of post-stroke mental disorders can help identify additional opportunities for personalized and safe treatment of patients who have suffered acute stroke.

Patients with substance use disorders represent a vulnerable population who are at risk of getting coronavirus due to several factors related to their clinical, psychological, and psycho-social characteristics. 
The goal of this study was to examine the features of a medical condition in patients with alcohol use disorder who are admitted to the addiction hospital and to describe the specific issues of the addiction care RF region during a pandemic.
Material and methods. The online survey has been distributed to 55 addiction psychiatrists from the third-level medical organizations of 4th federal districts (including Northwestern, South, Volga, and North Caucasian) from June 09 to June 20, 2020. The survey consists of 17 items (13 questions were focused on the features of progress and clinical signs of alcohol dependence in hospitalized, in-patient individuals during April-May, 2020; 4 questions were focused on the organizational issues of addiction care in the RF regions during the COVID-19 pandemic).
Results. Based on the expert`s assessment, the number of admissions at inpatient and outpatient clinical settings was reduced during the pandemic. In addition, the intensity of alcohol withdrawal among patients who were hospitalized during April-May, 2020 were significantly more severe compared to patients who were hospitalized during February-March, 2020 (Pearson’s chi-squared test). Moreover, alcohol withdrawal was more severe and was associated with alcohol withdrawal delirium (4,7%) or seizures (4,7%) in 9,4% of cases among patients with COVID positive status, which exceeds the data of epidemiological studies. The intensity of alcohol withdrawal delirium among patients with COVID positive status was more severe compared to those who had COVID negative status. During April-June, 2020, the few addiction clinics were temporally closed due to quarantine but a majority of clinics were not (n = 14 (25,5%) vs. n = 41 (74,5%)).
Conclusion. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the state of patients hospitalized for treatment of alcohol dependence may be considered more severe, compared to the period February-April 2020.

Threats to life and health, the public health crisis associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, have led to 1) accelerated development of vaccines, 2) adverse psychological reactions in the population.
Aim: to identify differences in stress, anxiety, protective behavior strategies, and the socio-demographic characteristics of online survey participants, who reported opposing attitudes to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.
Materials and Methods. In December 2020-January 2021, 131 respondents were assessed (men—21.4%). The Psychological Stress Scale (PSM 25), original questionnaires to evaluate pandemic concerns and protective behavior strategies with special question about COVID-19 vaccine acceptance were used. Effect sizes obtained using Cohen’s d and Cramer’s V measures were calculated for groups, the differences between which were significant (p≤0.05).
Results. A 47.3% sample, having PSM-25 rates above the threshold (100 points), showed a distress reaction to the pandemic due to anxiety stress. Compared to the spring of 2020, the number of concerns associated with a noticeable stress growth (ES≥0.34) increased from two to six. Psychological distress, concerns about the possible lack of medication for daily intake, harsh social consequences and self-isolation were associated with only foreign producer vaccine acceptance (ES=0.3-0.5). Absence of excessive fears for own life, concerns about the lack of personal protective equipment and unacceptance of gloves as a measure to prevent infection (ES=0.3-0.4) were important factors associated with any producer vaccine acceptance. Men, comparing to women, were more positive in vaccine acceptance.
Conclusion. The anxiety distress is an important factor in the rational attitude to coronavirus infection vaccine.

Diagnosis of disorders that determine the clinical manifestations of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) can cause certain difficulties: children with intrauterine alcohol exposure have a fairly wide range of physical, cognitive and behavioral features. The severity of disorders varies, which is determined mainly by the period when mother consumed alcohol (1st, 2nd or 3rd trimester of pregnancy), as well as frequency and amount of alcohol consumed. This article presents results of the second stage of the study among school students 7-10 year of age to identify and assess dysmorphological disorders that have arisen due to prenatal exposure to ethanol. During the first stage of the study, 77 students with delayed physical development (height and weight at the level of the 10th centile and less) were identified with anamnestic data about their mothers’ drinking alcohol during pregnancy. All children were included in the second stage of the study for detailed dysmorphological assessment. Diagnostics was carried out in two directions: criterial, including determining presence or absence of disorders, and if any, determining the severity of facial phenotype of FAS (short palpebral fissure lengths, smooth philtrum, thin upper lip); and descriptive, including determining presence or absence of disorders, and if any, determining severity of other dysmorphological disorders associated with FAS (face shape, features of the eyes, shape of the ears, features of the nostrils and lips, features of the structure of the hands). According to the results of the criteria-based diagnostics, 11 (14.3%) out of 77 children had typical facial anomalies or facial phenotype typical for FAS. 4 children had full correspondence of facial anomalies to severe, and 7 children to moderate. According to results of syndromic diagnosis, all children had from 1 to 6 signs of dysmorphological manifestations of FAS, represented by: upper palmar fold in the form of a «hockey stick» in 42.9%; altered ear configurations in the form of a «railway track» in 42.9%; short palpebral fissure lengths in 41.6%; smooth philtrum in 41.6%; thin upper lip in 41.6%; strabismus in 37.7%; clinodactyly of the 5th finger in 37.7%; small midface in 23.4%.

The classical theory of tests, in the framework of which a questionnaire for neurotic disorders was created, does not meet the requirements of modern psychometrics. In this regard, it became necessary to use new technologies for its modification and effective use in the clinic. The Rush metric system, a variation of modern test theory, is the only measurement model that meets the criteria for a joint additive measurement. On the basis of the claims of the questionnaire for neurotic disorders, 13 scales with proven psychometric characteristics were formed in the framework of the Rush model. This article evaluated the clinical efficacy of five of them.
The purpose of the study: to conduct clinical validation of the scales of depression, neuroticism, somatization, personal anxiety and validity of the modified version of the questionnaire for neurotic disorders.
Materials and Methods: the sample consisted of research data from a group of subjects in the amount of 296 people. Among them, 167 women and 129 men. Statistical methods of work—factor analysis of standardized residuals, ROC analysis, correlation analysis of the total indicator.
Results: 1. the points of each investigated scale characterize various aspects of one construct, that is, the scales are homogeneous; 2. through ROC analysis, high diagnostic properties of the scales were identified and cut-off values for each scale were calculated, which were the criteria for interpretation; 3. the criterion validity of the studied scales is statistically significantly higher or not different from the validity of the well-known questionnaires, which are the «gold standard» of measurement, which demonstrated a statistical comparison of their ROC curves; 4. the correlation analysis of the total indicator revealed statistically significant (p <0.05) correlation coefficients of the scales of the modified questionnaire among themselves, as well as with the assessments according to the MMPI scales, QIDS-SR16 questionnaire and the Hamilton anxiety score scale (HADS).
Conclusion: the scales of depression, neuroticism, somatization, personal anxiety and validity of the modified version of the neurotic disorders questionnaire are clinically valid, and therefore, can be used to solve various practical problems in psychodiagnostics.