MOSCOW, December 6. /TASS/. The majority of Russians say they have never sought help from a psychologist, but one in two believes in the value of going to one, according to data from the Weber sociological agency, a project of Autonomous Non-Commercial Organizations (ANO) Dialog and Dialog Regions.

"As many as 80% of Russians have never sought help from a psychologist. That said, 48% of respondents believe that turning to a psychologist is beneficial and helps to solve problems," the survey results say.

Russians’ attitudes toward professional mental health services is changing, as 28% of respondents believe seeing a psychologist will help them, while 22% hold the opposite opinion. Nevertheless, 37% of respondents primarily seek help and support for their personal problems from family members or relatives, 29% from friends, and 26% from a loved one or partner. Only 9% of respondents turn primarily to a psychologist or psychotherapist.

Only 18% of respondents have ever sought professional help for their problems. Most of them (59%) have noticed progress, while 37% note that the problem has not been solved.

Speaking about the future, 46% of Russians admit the likelihood of seeking help from a professional psychologist. Meanwhile, one third of respondents (32%) prefer face-to-face meetings with a specialist, 30% believe that the format of meetings does not matter, and one in ten would prefer online consultations. About 85% of respondents found out that mental health services are included in the compulsory medical insurance policy (CMI) just during the survey. Furthermore, 47% would not use the help of a psychologist even under the CMI.

The public opinion survey was conducted online by ANO Dialog Regions on November 20, 2023 using the River Sampling method. The survey was conducted among 1,200 respondents over the age of 18.