printTherapeutic Turn on the Path of Russian Youth:
Factors for Seeking Psychotherapeutic Help
Lukina A.A.
Junior Research Fellow, Centre for Vocational Education and Skills Development, HSE University, Moscow, Russia aalukina@hse.ru
Bochkor A.I.
Student of the Master’s program “Complex Social Analysis”, HSE University, Moscow, Russia a. i.bochkor@yandex.ru
Lukina A.A., Bochkor A.I. Therapeutic Turn on the Path of Russian Youth: Factors for Seeking Psychotherapeutic Help. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2025. No 3. P. 90-104
The article explores factors that determine engagement of contemporary Russian youth with institutionalized psychological care as both a consequence and evidence of a therapeutic turn in the Russian context. The research is empirically based on a longitudinal cohort study “Trajectories in education and profession” (N = 3 324). The findings demonstrate that young people in Russia generally hold positive attitudes towards professional psychological assistance. Moreover, seeking help from psychotherapists is more prevalent among this age group compared to the general Russian population. Using binary logistic regression modeling, we explore four categories of factors related to the appeal by young people to professional psychological assistance: socio‑ demographic and personal factors, social support and trust in psychotherapy. We demonstrate that several factors do influence the decision of young people to embark on professional psychological care. Among the positive predictors are female gender, absence of children and a marital partner, as well as higher social background measured by both individual and parental educational levels. Inclination towards individual coping strategies tends to decrease the chances of possessing psychotherapeutic experience. In contrast, internal locus of control, as well as a high level of stress positively contribute to decisions to involve in psychotherapeutic sessions. In terms of attitudes towards psychological care, those who either do not believe in therapy or are not able to form a particular opinion in its regard tend to have lower chances to engage in psychotherapy. This study contributes to understanding the unique dynamics of the therapeutic turn in Russia, offering insights into the key barriers and motivators shaping young people’s decisions to seek psychological help.
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