On September 5, experts from the Institute for Behavioral Studies at American University Kyiv and Research Laboratory Rating Lab presented the results of the study "Barriers and Stereotypes: Why People Avoid Psychological Help" on the AUK campus.
According to the research, every fourth Ukrainian (28%) shows signs of a high level of stress. In the group of 18-29 years, 48% have signs of high stress. During the last six months, 40% of Ukrainians felt the need for psychological help, although less than 20% have ever sought it. Even among those who admitted they needed help, more than two-thirds never sought help.
Among the main obstacles to obtaining psychological help, Ukrainians cite the high cost of services and the difficulty of finding and contacting a psychologist. In addition, there is a widespread stereotype that it is not customary to consult a psychologist in Ukraine. More than 60% of respondents think so.
Today, Ukrainians are equally ready to recommend acquaintances to consult a psychiatrist, psychologist, mental health center, or psychological assistance center in case of increased anxiety, depressed mood, or sleep disorder (50-60% consider it effective to contact these specialists/institutions). It is interesting that in the youngest group (18-29 years old), a psychiatrist is considered the most effective among all the proposed options - 83% believe that an appeal will help solve the problem. Whereas in the oldest group (60+ years old), on the contrary, they consider consulting a psychiatrist to be the least effective (33%).
At the same time, Ukrainians do not believe that a family doctor will help to deal with these problems. Today, every third family doctor provides a mental health service. Despite this, only 26% of Ukrainians believe that going to a family doctor will help solve psychological problems.
We would like to thank Vladyslav Dombrovskyi, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Behavioral Studies at American University Kyiv, as well as Marianna Tkalych, founder and director of Research Laboratory Rating Lab, and Tetiana Skrypchenko, deputy director of Rating Group, for the presentation and important study of the issue of psychological help and attitudes towards it. Today, this concerns every Ukrainian and requires such public discussions and purposeful steps.
The full presentation of the study is available at the link on the website
The recording of the broadcast is also available on the official YouTube channel of American University Kyiv