Turkmenistan, located in Central Asia, is one of the most repressive countries in the world. There is only limited information available on the mental health services in Turkmenistan as the government completely controls the media, censors all newspapers, and censors access to the internet (U.S. Department of State, 2004). Turkmenistan’s almost total isolation has led to a serious lack of information about the health situation in the country.
No systematic information is available on the mental health of the population of Turkmenistan, but it is very likely that the psychological pressure of a dictatorship, pervasive corruption, and a lack of prospects for the future have taken their toll on the population. Drug addiction has risen markedly in recent years and it has also been reported that suicides have become much more common. Reportedly, the central psychiatric hospital in Ashgabat was demolished several years ago, creating serious problems of access to mental health services for the population.
Additionally, psychiatry in the country is likely being abused for political purposes. In the Soviet Union, dissidents were routinely locked up in psychiatric institutions. The suppression of civil society, the growing isolation of the country, and the general climate of fear, repression, and corruption are likely to contribute to deteriorating population health in Turkmenistan.