Mongolia is a country with an approximate area of 1.5 million km2. Its population is 2.5 million, nearly 90% of whom are ethnically Mongolian. Khalkh Mongols form the largest subgroup (approximately 79% of the population); the next largest subgroup is the Kazakhs (5.3%), followed by smaller groups such as Tuvins, Uzbeks, Uighurs, Russian and Chinese. The population is young, with 35.9% under the age of 15 years. The official language is Mongolian. Just under half the population live in rural areas and around a fifth live a nomadic life. About 80% of the land area is suitable for agriculture, mostly for animal husbandry.

According to the statistical data, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita was 500 744 tugriks (approximately US$420) in 2002. In 2000 some 36% of the population were living below the poverty line, and in 2002 the unemployment rate was 3.4%. Education is obligatory for all children aged between 8 and 15 years and the literacy rate is 98% for men and 95% for women.

Life expectancy at birth is 63.5 years (2002). The infant mortality rate is 23.5 per 1000 live births (2003), and the maternal mortality rate is 110 per 100 000 live births (2003). Socio-economic changes such as poverty, unemployment, the destabilisation of family structure, natural and manmade disasters, changes to traditional culture and lifestyle, and urbanisation are major factors affecting mental health. These current social changes result in suicide, street children, acts of violence and substance misuse, especially alcohol-related problems.

Epidemiological research

According to the results of an epidemiological survey conducted between 1976 and 1984, the prevalence of mental disorders per 1000 population varied widely across the country, from 9.8 in Altai (a mountainous region), to 13.1 in Khangai and Khentii (both also mountainous regions), 18.3 in Dornod (a steppe region), 23.5 in the Gobi (a desert region) and 24.0 in the capital, Ulaanbaatar (Byambasuren, 2000). These figures do not include those people with less severe psychological or psychosocial problems. Epidemiological studies on the prevalence of suicide (Byambasuren et al, 2003) and schizophrenia (Khishigsuren et al, 2004) have been conducted. According to this research, the number of suicides in Ulaanbaatar increased nearly threefold between 1992 and 2002, to reach 3.0 per 10 000 population. The prevalence of schizophrenia in Ulaanbaatar is 0.97 cases per 1000.