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Background <p>Psychological help-seeking remains low in Central and Eastern Europe. This study examined lifetime psychological help-seeking patterns in a representative sample of Slovak adults.</p> Methods <p> Data came from an online survey in November 2024 with 1,061 respondents (567 women; M age = 47.6) recruited by a population panel. Psychological help-seeking was defined as any lifetime contact with a psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker, coach, or healer. Analyses summarised sociodemographic characteristics, trajectories of help-seeking (age at first contact, number of episodes), type of problems, how help was sought, provider types, perceived helpfulness, termination, informal support, and future preferences.</p> Results <p>Almost one-third of respondents reported at least one help-seeking episode. Women sought help more often and earlier than men. About half had sought help once, and the remainder multiple times. Anxiety and depression were the most frequent problems, followed by family and relationship difficulties. The mean number of sessions was 9.45, and perceived helpfulness tended to be rated more positively among respondents with a greater number of sessions, with the clearest difference appearing in the early range of sessions. Around 90% of episodes involved psychologists or psychiatrists. Most terminations were mutually agreed or ongoing, and consultations with relatives or close others were common and supportive. Most respondents who would seek help preferred in-person care over online formats. </p> Conclusions <p>Psychological help-seeking appears relatively common across the life course and is mainly centered on psychologists and psychiatrists, ranging from one-time consultations to repeated or ongoing contact with care. The findings describe variation in help-seeking patterns across the life course and indicate that close social networks were often involved in decisions about seeking help. Greater awareness of these patterns may contribute to a more realistic understanding of how psychological help-seeking occurs in similar cultural contexts.</p>

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From one-time visits to long-term therapy: patterns of psychological help-seeking

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月9日

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  • Alexander Loziak,
  • Jana Papcunová,
  • Marcel Martončik

摘要

Background

Psychological help-seeking remains low in Central and Eastern Europe. This study examined lifetime psychological help-seeking patterns in a representative sample of Slovak adults.

Methods

Data came from an online survey in November 2024 with 1,061 respondents (567 women; M age = 47.6) recruited by a population panel. Psychological help-seeking was defined as any lifetime contact with a psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker, coach, or healer. Analyses summarised sociodemographic characteristics, trajectories of help-seeking (age at first contact, number of episodes), type of problems, how help was sought, provider types, perceived helpfulness, termination, informal support, and future preferences.

Results

Almost one-third of respondents reported at least one help-seeking episode. Women sought help more often and earlier than men. About half had sought help once, and the remainder multiple times. Anxiety and depression were the most frequent problems, followed by family and relationship difficulties. The mean number of sessions was 9.45, and perceived helpfulness tended to be rated more positively among respondents with a greater number of sessions, with the clearest difference appearing in the early range of sessions. Around 90% of episodes involved psychologists or psychiatrists. Most terminations were mutually agreed or ongoing, and consultations with relatives or close others were common and supportive. Most respondents who would seek help preferred in-person care over online formats.

Conclusions

Psychological help-seeking appears relatively common across the life course and is mainly centered on psychologists and psychiatrists, ranging from one-time consultations to repeated or ongoing contact with care. The findings describe variation in help-seeking patterns across the life course and indicate that close social networks were often involved in decisions about seeking help. Greater awareness of these patterns may contribute to a more realistic understanding of how psychological help-seeking occurs in similar cultural contexts.