Ethical and legal problems of organization of psychological help in Russia

The state of psychological health of the population requires immediate solution of ethical, legal and socio-medical problems in terms of organization of psychological assistance in Russia. Preservation and strengthening of psychological health of the population is a top-priority task of modern public policy, it is confirmed by governmental legislation containing such information. Population health in these socio-economic and political conditions is characterized by extreme instability, growth of psychopathies, suicidal and deviant behavior, especially among young people. Postcovid social space is characterized by an increase in depressive states, anxiety disorders associated with prolonged isolation of the population. This is aggravated by a number of social and military-political factors that cause constant stressing of the population up to outright panic and phobias, which pushed a significant part of the population to make rash decisions up to leaving the country and suicide attempts.

However, with competently organized and qualitatively conducted psychological assistance it would be quite possible to stop the mass exodus of the population on the background of panic. In this regard, the problem of creating a single governmental law on the organization of psychological help in Russia is the most urgent. Such laws were adopted at the regional level only in Moscow and St. Petersburg, but they were characterized by fragmentation and deficiencies in terms of professional education and training of psychologists. The article considers ways of solving ethical and legal problems related to the creation of a unified federal law on psychological assistance to the population and the development of a professional standard for the training of psychologists, taking into account ethical, legal, educational and personal qualities, with a clear description of the rights and responsibilities of practicing psychologists. The author also considers the necessity and possibility of introducing the position of a staff psychologist in every educational, departmental institution, office, companies, medical and social institutions, including antenatal clinics and hospices.

Special attention should be paid to improving the Criminal Code in terms of provisions regulating safe psychological assistance and providing for criminal punishment for damage to the psychological health of the patient when professional knowledge is used for selfish purposes, as well as when people in need of psychological help are attracted to sects under the guise of group psychotherapy. It is also supposed to mandatory certification and registration of practicing psychologists, introduction of certification licensing of psychologists.