Аннотация
Introduction. In the Republic of Kazakhstan, the system of psychological assistance to students is actively developing, including in higher education institutions. The article analyzes students’ readiness to seek psychological assistance and the experience of those students who obtained such assistance. The article also considers the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of primary requests and their relationship with the level of subjective well-being of students. Materials and Methods. The study took the form of an internet survey conducted in February 2022. E. Diener’s Life Satisfaction Scale and a questionnaire for students were used. The total sample size was 94 people aged 17 to 35, all students studying at higher education institutions of Kazakhstan. Results. The experience of obtaining psychological assistance and readiness to seek psychological assistance among Kazakh students are comparable with the results of similar studies among students in Russia. Students turn to psychologists both on their own initiative and at the suggestion of significant elders. Preference is given to psychologists in private practice and the face-to-face (i. e., offline) format, while university psychological services are the least popular. Students who have ever seen a psychologist are more satisfied with their lives and positively perceive what is happening to them. Compared to males, females tend to turn to psychologists more often and are more willing to formulate initial requests. It is shown that the content of queries is gender-specific. Females are more often focused on problems associated with emotional states, while for males the issues of self-determination and organization of activities are more important. The stresses associated with the educational process are an urgent request for both genders. Conclusions. The results obtained testify to the need to inform students about the availability of high-quality assistance in the psychological services of universities.