No abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainty, threat to life, and repeated lockdowns have significantly undermined people’s psychological well-being. In such situations, the basic needs for self-determination (SDT) are disrupted—autonomy, connectedness, and competence—but it is the resulting dissatisfaction that actualizes a search for strategies to cope with the problem. The objective of this article is to critically review the literature on various ways that people are coping with specific experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and their relationship to basic needs to maintain sustainability. We searched on the Web of Science CC database for relevant studies (2020–2021) and their systematization from the standpoint of Self-Determination Theory (SDT). This showed the dynamics of coping methods, reflecting a transition from confusion when confronted with stress, to the selection of effective strategies, confirming that when basic needs are blocked for a long time, people begin to search for a way to satisfy them. We present three levels of grouped coping methods: (1) physiological, (2) behavioral, and (3) cognitive, demonstrating their interrelationship with orientation (to oneself or to the context), assessment (a threat or a challenge), and basic psychological needs. The proposed model opens up prospects for creating effective coping and training programs for sustainable development of the individual in crisis situations.

The article presents the study of the life models of youth (as fragments of a life scenario realized by a person in concrete life spheres) in the context of intergenerational relations. The topicality of the research is related to the modern understanding of intergenerational transmission as the interaction of subcultures and the need to study the role of commitment to the subculture of a generation in creating a life scenario by young people. The sample consists of 100 St. Petersburg State university students, average age 21.02±1.11; the semi-structured interview was used to investigate human activity in two areasprofessional self-determination and close relationships. The factor analysis revealed universal landmarks in a life scenario (active life, orientation for career growth and life success), and the influence of intergenerational and intragenerational relations. On this basis, respondents were classified according to their commitment to the subculture of their generation or their exposure to the influence of parents, traditional values. The cluster analysis identified five clusters, four of which are related to the commitment to the subculture of youth generation and closeness to the parents. The study showed that regardless of closeness with parents, both high and low identification with the subculture of youth generation can take place; young people continue to adhere to traditional landmarks -career, status, and well-being. Identification with the parents' generation has a greater effect on a model of close relationships. Reliance on parental support can shape both active and passive life models of young people.

The Article based on 390 cases of the psychological consulting practice describes the content of different types of problematic situations typical for students depending on the year of study (age) and chosen profession. The features of the most important (actual) problematic situations with which students in sciences and humanities refer are shown. The relation between the readiness for work with a professional psychologist and the age, sex and the faculty of the student is discovered.

Modern society is increasingly immersed in the digital space, and modern youth, so-called generation Z, considers it a full-fledged part of their living space. It becomes especially important to study the processes of forming value-semantic attitudes and life guidelines of young people in the digital environment. The article provides an overview of current research on the concept of digital opinion leadership and the figure of an opinion leader in the digital environment. The authors have consistently disclosed the concept and strategies of researching the personality of an' opinion leader' in various sciences – sociology, marketing, psychology, while showing the ambiguity of this term and the lack of a unified approach to the study of the phenomenon. Much attention is paid to the concept of an opinion leader in the digital environment – the authors present a comprehensive analysis of modern works in the field of sociology, mathematical processes, marketing, advertising, economics, philology and psychology that define this phenomenon. At the same time, in the article, the authors share the concepts of a popular person, an 'influencer' and an opinion leader. The article presents and classifies existing approaches to identifying opinion leaders in the digital environment, their strengths and weaknesses. The sociological, marketing and psychological studies devoted to the study of the mechanisms of influence of opinion leaders on their audience are considered. Based on the analysis, a theoretical psychological model for identifying opinion leaders in a digital environment is presented, based on the well-known mechanisms of influence of an opinion leader on his audience. In conclusion, the article raises the question of the perspectives for psychological research in this area.