Patients in Russia with recurrent depression may have more treatment options. The updated standard of care includes electroacupuncture, electrical brain stimulation and laser blood irradiation.
Russia’s Health Ministry has already published the new standard, which will come into effect on Oct. 3. It will replace the 2022 document and apply to adults with recurrent depression, a condition in which the illness returns after periods of improvement.
The list of procedures has been expanded to include acupuncture using extremely high-frequency currents, plasma exchange, blood ultrafiltration and hypoxia therapy. A physician will decide which method is appropriate for each patient.
The medical examination process will also change. Patients will be tested for hepatitis, HIV and syphilis and referred for a urological examination. The new standard also provides for regular follow-up with a psychiatrist.
Electroconvulsive therapy is also on the list, but it is not new: it was already included alongside transcranial magnetic stimulation.
