Potential Factors That Can Model the Attitude Towards Psychotherapy Among Students – An Analysis of a University in Serbia
Article information:
Volume VIII 2024, No 2, Pages: 55-73
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24193/JRHE.2024.2.4
Anida Vrcić Amar, Assistant professor, Study group Psychology, State University of Novi Pazar Serbia, email address: anvrcic@np.ac.rs
Atif Avdović, Student, Department of science and mathematics, State University of Novi Pazar Serbia, email address: aavdovic@np.ac.rs
Milena Belić, Assistant Professor, Study group Psychology, State University of Novi Pazar Serbia, email address: mbelic@np.ac.rs
Denis Demirović, Student, Study group Psychology, State University of Novi Pazar Serbia, email address: ddemirovic@np.ac.rs
Abstract: For psychotherapy practice, it has always been important to research what motivates or demotivates individuals to seek and use it. Therefore, our goal was to determine the attitudes of students at the State University of Novi Pazar towards psychotherapy, while understanding potential differences in attitudes between humanities and non-humanities students. Attitudes were measured using the Psychotherapy Scale, and general data were collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire. The sample consisted of 322 students from 16 study programs. The findings showed that the attitudes towards psychotherapy in our sample are distributed across four components: positive attitude, negative attitude, scepticism and hesitation in seeking psychotherapy services. Students of all study programs are equally reluctant to seek professional help, while positive, negative and sceptical attitudes towards psychotherapy significantly differentiate between humanities and non-humanities students. Additionally, female respondents have significantly higher positive attitude and hesitance towards therapy, as well as significantly lower scores for negative attitude and scepticism towards therapy.
Keywords: Psychotherapy, attitude towards psychotherapy, humanities students, students, counselling centre.
