The Republican Scientific and Practical Center of Mental Health (RSPC MH) was founded on 4 February, 2009 in Minsk, the Republic of Belarus.

The main directions of the development of the RSPC MH are as following:

1. 1. The study of the actual problems of the psychiatry of elderly age as well as Alzheimer disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, epidemiological researches in the Republic of Belarus, working out clinical and psychological tools for the assessment of cognitive functions; implementation of psychiatric approaches peculiar to elderly age into general medicine;

2. 2. Developing of innovative methods of diagnostics and treatment of mental and behavioral disorders in extreme situations;

3. 3. The study of the problem of the due diagnostics and therapy of affective disorders, working out of the national standards of diagnostics and treatment of depressions and other affective disorders, implementation of the methods of diagnostics of “hidden depression” into general medical practice;

4. 4. The study of actual problems of child and adolescent psychiatry: epidemiological researches in the Republic of Belarus, introducing of the tools for psychological assessment of cognitive functions in early childhood; elaborating of the correction and prophylactic programs aimed at prevention of behavioral deviations, alcohol and drug dependence, “non-chemical” addictions such as gambling and “technological addictions” among adolescents;

5. 5. Identification of psychological and social-demographic factors influencing the indices of the quality of life of the patients suffered from mental disorders as well as chronic somatic diseases;

6. 6. Developing of innovative methods of diagnostics and prevention of suicidal and parasuicidal behavior.