MOSCOW. July 16 (Interfax-AVN) - About 56,000 Russian active- duty servicemen are permanently monitored by psychologists, Felix Beskorovainy, head of the psychological service in the Armed Forces main educational work department, has said.
"These are the people who were raised without one or both parents, who have had experience in using drugs and who have been engaged in asocial behavior," Beskorovainy said in an interview with the Vremya Novostei newspaper published on Tuesday.
According to him, the Russian army does have a mechanism of psychological support and protection. "The psychological service employs quite a large number of experts - 2,500 officers and workers. Almost 80 percent are psychologists of battalions, regiments and brigades who work with soldiers permanently," the officer stressed.
A decision was made in 2001 to make psychological assistance centers and points integral components of the army with a goal to strengthen the psychological support. The Armed Forces currently comprise 47 centers and 151 points of that kind.
"These are absolutely new elements of educational work bodies, places where an officer, soldier, sergeant, warrant and their family members can get competent psychological aid. The points and centers do not provide solution to financial problems or offer medical treatment, they deal with problems caused by stresses, especially among people who have served in trouble spots or taken part in combat operations in the North Caucasus," Beskorovainy noted.
He said that some 12 to 15 percent of servicemen needed comprehensive rehabilitation at recreation homes and bases or sanatoriums. For some people such rehabilitation is insufficient, and they get treatment in hospitals, the officer stressed.