Virtual psychological service: functional tasks and features of the organization

Context and relevance. The development of telecommunication equipment and Internet networks has made the provision of psychological assistance online technically possible and economically profitable. However, the main problem remains the design of specialized human-machine systems that would effectively ensure the interaction of a psychologist and a client in a virtual environment, taking into account such features as anonymity and lack of physical contact. Purpose. Propose the concept of organizing the Virtual Psychological Service (UPU) on the basis of a psychological portal, which would serve as a tool for organizing the joint activities of psychologists and clients. Methods and materials. A theoretical approach based on the theory of human-machine systems, where the machine component is a means of implementing joint activities. The method of segmenting users by age groups (6-12 years, 13-18 years, 18-45 years) to determine the specifics of their requests and the types of services required. Design of the functional and technological structure of the portal (including search systems, categorization, personalization of the interface and mechanisms for auditing information). Development of interaction models (individual counseling, group forums, information services and educational environments). Results. The UPU concept has been developed, including four main areas of services: individual counseling (through questionnaires and chats), group counseling (specialized forums "Up to 16 and older," "E-forum," interest groups), information services (categories "You asked, we answer," "Forum Archive," "NLP Section," testing, "Ψ-info," "Who we are") and educational services for children. The age segments of users and their corresponding tasks have been identified: for children 6-12 years old, developmental games and educational skills are prioritized; for adolescents 13-18 years old - career guidance, problems of communication and meaning of life; for adults under 45 years of age - deep personal conflicts and problems with which it is difficult to consult an in-person psychologist. The necessary technical and organizational conditions for the UPU are formulated: proactive and active information collection, hierarchical data structuring, mechanisms for updating (life cycle) of information and the possibility of exchanging experience between users. The principles of creating a collectively distributed educational environment for elementary and middle school students, based on the distribution of actions, communication and reflection, are described. Conclusion. The effectiveness of the Virtual Psychological Service depends on the integration of functional structure, meaningful content and technical support, which together should provide various forms of user collaboration. The success of the UPU implementation is determined by how much the system allows users to solve their specific tasks in the context of the limitations of the Internet environment.