The micro consequences of macro-level social transition: how did Russians survive in the 1990s?

Using panel data from the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS), we investigate the possible links between the Russian mortality crisis of the 1990s and social transition that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union. The results of the analysis demonstrate that Russians’ life chances and their psychological resources and well-being were deteriorated during the transition in the 1990s. The deterioration of life chances and psychological resources and well-being, in conjunction with the high-risk lifestyle of many Russians, increased their risks of dying both directly and indirectly, through a negative impact on their health. This work was completed before the first author started to work in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.