From November 13 to 15, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education (MSUPE) is holding the second International Scientific-Practical Conference "Zeigarnik Readings: Clinical Psychology in the Modern World: Challenges and Resources".
The event is dedicated to the 125th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding Russian psychologist, colleague of L.S. Vygotsky, and founder of the cultural-historical direction in clinical psychology, Bluma Vulfovna Zeigarnik.
The conference has brought together representatives from leading scientific, practical, and medical centers, legislative authorities, and leading specialists in healthcare, medical and clinical psychology, and psychiatry from Russia and the CIS countries.
In a video address to participants, Larisa Falkovskaya, Director of the Department of State Policy for Children's Rights Protection at the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, emphasized:
"The methodological and clinical psychology developments of Bluma Vulfovna Zeigarnik, as well as her work in clinical psychodiagnostics, remain foundational for the scientific and practical work of psychologists today, both in education and healthcare. It is gratifying that Moscow State University of Psychology and Education preserves the traditions of the national cultural-historical approach in psychology.
Colleagues, we face important tasks of providing comprehensive support for children on their path to adulthood, overcoming difficult life situations, utilizing the implementation plans, the concept for developing psychological assistance in the Russian education system, and the concept for developing a comprehensive system of rehabilitation and habilitation for people with disabilities, taking into account integration, psychological and pedagogical innovations, and historical developments.
The potential of the ideas of Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky and Bluma Vulfovna Zeigarnik is undoubtedly in demand for developing modern methods of psychological assistance for children and adolescents. I am confident that the Readings, which have gathered authoritative specialists from science and practice, will contribute to the search for new practical results using classical tools in the spheres of child health protection and education."
MSUPE Rector Arkady Margolis emphasized that the conference has attracted both established and early-career professionals:
"It is gratifying that in this audience, alongside eminent scientists, we see many young, beginning researchers. This indicates that the scientific school has not turned into folios on shelves; it is truly alive and addresses a wide variety of practical challenges.
It seems to me that the 'Zeigarnik Effect,' which we all know, demonstrates that science, even the most advanced and academic, must not lose connection with the real problems of practice. As colleagues from the Russian Ministry of Education have already noted, the demand for the assistance of clinical psychologists in education and healthcare is growing. And it is important for us that specialists educated at MSUPE and other universities can solve problems based on the scientific method, including that created by Bluma Vulfovna Zeigarnik.
Her biography cannot fail to impress. It is wonderful that a round table dedicated to memories of Bluma Vulfovna will be held as part of the conference; this is an extremely interesting event.
The conference program was difficult to fit into three days. This shows how much the exchange of scientific ideas, opinions, experience, and the results of empirical and theoretical research is in demand."
Nikolay Neznanov, Director of the V.M. Bekhterev National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Neurology of the Russian Ministry of Health, Scientific Supervisor of the Center's Geriatric Psychiatry Department, Head of the Department of Psychiatry and Narcology at I.P. Pavlov St. Petersburg State Medical University, Chief External Expert in Psychiatry of Roszdravnadzor, President of the World Association for Dynamic Psychiatry (WADP, Geneva), President of the Russian Society of Psychiatrists, noted in his address:
"Contemporary challenges generate new focus areas for psychologists: digital well-being, neuropsychology and genetics, corporate psychology crises, and other topics reflected in the conference program. These developments confirm that psychology continues to evolve theoretically and practically while meeting society's needs.
Addressing issues particularly relevant to psychiatry, I return to Bluma Vulfovna Zeigarnik's works. While advocating for professional autonomy of clinical psychologists, she consistently raised before the scientific community the question of strengthening collaboration between psychology and medicine - a concern that remains entirely relevant today."
Alla Kholmogorova, Dean of the Faculty of Counseling and Clinical Psychology at MSUPE, discussed contemporary challenges and the critical importance of mental health prevention for society. She noted that mental disorders constitute 38% of all diseases in developed countries and frequently co-occur with somatic illnesses, yet remain underrecognized in healthcare systems. Moreover, they represent the leading cause of years lived with disability.
Timely identification of at-risk groups and integrating psychological assistance into general healthcare networks would reduce repeat hospitalizations and overall treatment costs.
Anna Borisovna also noted a sharp increase in mental distress and the number of suicides among young people:
"From the perspective of L.S. Vygotsky's cultural-historical psychology, the current social development situation for younger generations appears unfavorable for mental health.
This raises philosophical-anthropological questions about the social values underlying human relationships and their negative consequences for development and health.
Reviving values of mutual support, collaborative pedagogy based on respect for agency, and strengthening students' subjective positions represent crucial scientifically-grounded tasks for addressing the current epidemic of psychological distress".
Plenary session reports also covered such topical issues as substance use disorders among adolescents and youth, technologies for psychological assistance to combat veterans when working with traumatic memories, the law on psychological assistance, problems and prospects for the development of psychological services in Russian universities.
The conference continued with thematic sections where specialists examined ethical, legal and organizational aspects of psychological assistance; psychotherapy and social rehabilitation in the era of artificial intelligence; psychodiagnostics and psychotherapy in child psychiatry; eating disorders; aggression and self-harm in the digital age; psychological support for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families; psychologists' roles in multidisciplinary hospitals; and novel approaches to treating depression.
The conference program includes master classes covering addiction treatment, musical movement therapy, managing uncertainty in oncology settings, preventing professional burnout, group work with suicidal adolescents in psychiatric hospitals, neurorehabilitation programs in gerontology, and addressing learning difficulties.
Video recording of the plenary session: