Sociological perspectives of studying help-seeking behavior

Scientific solution of one of the topical problems of mental health of the population - the discrepancy between the need for psychological aid and the prevalence of seeking it - is currently explained by the concept of “help-seeking behavior”. However, in the world literature, this concept is a subject of discussion and faces a lack of a systematic methodological approach to its study, measurement and interpretation. The aim of the article is to reveal the possibilities of sociological knowledge applied to the studies of help-seeking behavior. The results of a secondary meta-analysis of systematic reviews on the topic (N = 416 articles) indicate a lack of theoretical framework and the need to build up comprehensive conceptual models using a macro-sociological perspective. The literary review facilitated theoretical and methodological recommendations for future empirical research, which is increasing with the growing attention of society to the problem of public mental health.