Paul Goble
Staunton, Nov. 26 – Some practicing psychologists say that as many as 10 percent of all Russians are suffering from psychological problems. There aren’t enough psychologists to treat them, and those who are practicing are about to be overwhelmed by the return of veterans from the war in Ukraine who suffer from PTSD and other problems.
A debate has broken out about what to do. A senator has proposed introducing a state test to ensure that all those who call themselves psychologists are in fact professionals; but many psychologists say that such a bureaucratic step will push many of those now working out of the profession and make the situation even worse (nakanune.ru/articles/124133/).
According to them, Russia is not anywhere close to have the number of psychologists needed in schools and firms, given how widespread psychological disturbances have become since the covid pandemic and more recently because of Putin’s war in Ukraine. And they are profoundly worried about what the return of veterans from that war will mean.
These psychologists are calling on the government to train more psychologists rather than focus on weeding out unqualified ones and say that the defense ministry must take the lead because it has the money and its personnel are likely soon to become one of the heaviest new burdens on the system.
If more psychologists are not trained and put in place, these practitioners suggest, the problems for Russian society as a whole will grow; and the costs of dealing with such difficulties will be far higher than the training and hiring of psychologists now.
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