Austria
New Austrian Psychological Association (BÖP) project "We strengthen strengths". June, 2021
New BÖP project "We strengthen strengths"
June 8, 2021
Netherlands
Quick Guide to Dutch Healthcare. June, 2021
Do you have foreign relations for whom a brief and concise overview of the Dutch healthcare system would be a godsend? So that they understand who the main players are, how market forces work in healthcare, and how much money we spend on which forms of healthcare. And all of this is served up in short English texts and crystal clear visualisations.
For them, there is now a handy English guide, Quick Guide to Dutch Healthcare, available for download.
The guide is a product of Platform Zó werkt de zorg and was created with the cooperation of platform partners ESHPM, VIG, VWS, ZN and De Argumentenfabriek.
Source: https://www.argumentenfabriek.nl/nl/nieuws/gratis-engelstalige-gids-over-nederlands-zorgstelsel
The Quick Guide to Dutch Healthcare can be downloaded here
Portugal
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Podcast “This is Psychology”, June 1, 2021
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+OPP, The app of Portuguese Order of Psychologists. July 7, 2021
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Protocol with Portuguese Gymnastic Federation. September, 2021
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Let’s Talk About Suicide! September, 2021
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A guide to minimize risks to mental health in the workplace. September, 2021
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17 Professional Associations defend Psychosocial Risks Prevention and the promotion of mental health in the work place. September, 2021
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+OPP, The app of Portuguese Psychologic Association
July 7, 2021
We launched on 7th July a new app. It’s now possible to find, in one single place, +News, +Scientific Evidence, +Transparency, +Proximity, +Conversations, +Psychology. Here you can find the latest news about psychology, the magazine PSI21, scientific articles and podcasts.
It's completely free and available on the Google Store and App Store.
Let’s Talk About Suicide?
September 10, 2021
In the World Suicide Prevention Day, 10th September 2021, the Portuguese Psychologist Association provides the document “Let’s Talk about Suicide?”. Here you can find several information addressing people who have, or had in the past, suicidal thoughts and everyone who knows persons in such conditions. This document is also dedicated to those who survived a suicide attempt or someone who lost a relative or a friend due to a suicide.
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A guide to minimize risks to mental health in the workplace
September 28, 2021
The Directorate-General of Health of Portugal has launched, on 28th September, a guide to minimize risks to mental health in the workplace. This is a technical guide on health surveillance of workers exposed to psychosocial risk factors in the workplace. This guide, with innovative characteristics, intends to identify and promote good practices, not only in terms of prevention, but also in the promotion of workers' health.
17 Professional Associations defend Psychosocial Risks Prevention and the promotion of mental health in the work place
September 29, 2021
CNOP – National Council of Professional Associations agreed that, in a context of public health protection, the occupational health and safety legislation must be amended, making the assessment of Psychosocial Risks and the implementation of prevention plans explicitly mandatory. The creation of a strategic program for the prevention of psychosocial risks and the promotion of well-being in the public administration was also considered a priority. This group brings together representatives from 17 professional associations, representing around 471.000 professionals.
Spain - Portugal
Joint Portuguese and Spanish declaration to put mental health on the agenda of the 23nd Luso-Spanish Summit of October 28, 2021
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Meeting in Lisbon on 7 and 8 October 2021 with the aim of strengthening positions, sharing experiences and resources and implementing joint responses of psychological science and psychologists to the complex present and future social challenges, the presidencies of the General Council of Psychology of Spain and the Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses (OPP, College of Psychologists of Portugal), decide to make public the following declaration:
The absolutely exceptional circumstances of the current historical moment, marked by complex social transformations (such as the climate crisis, the digital transition, inequalities and injustices or migration) and, more recently, by the socio-economic impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, determine the need for the promotion of health and psychological well-being to be considered a priority in the context of the Iberian Peninsula due to the role they play in the recovery of countries, communities and citizens. We appeal, in this sense, that during the XXXII Luso-Spanish Summit that will take place on 28 October 2021, in Trujillo, Extremadura, this issue be discussed within the framework of cooperation between countries and, in particular, that the promotion of psychology and the health and well-being of the Spanish-Portuguese population can be assumed as a central theme of the 33rd Luso-Spanish Summit whose preparation will begin at the end of the Summit. The capacity to respond to and overcome the aforementioned challenges, as well as the promotion of individual and shared resilience, quality of life, productivity, educational success, citizen participation or social cohesion depend on the physical and psychological health and well-being of citizens. In this sense, the contribution of psychology and psychologists is fundamental in the different contexts, stages and moments of people's lives. The councils of the Professional Associations representing psychologists in both countries thus assume their commitment to these challenges, their availability to support the authorities and decision-makers in prioritising these issues and in responding to present and future social challenges.
Spain
- Newsletter of the Division of Psychotherapy of the Spanish College of Psychologists. August, 2021
- The Government presents the Action Plan 2021-2024 Mental Health and COVID-19 to address the impact caused by the pandemic. October, 2021
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Boletin informativo - Consejo General de la Psicología de España - División de Psicoterapia
The Government presents the Action Plan 2021-2024 Mental Health and COVID-19 to address the impact caused by the pandemic
October 9, 2021
The Spanish prime minister announced during a press conference a Mental Health action plan 2021-2024 with 100 millions of euros launched "in response to the emergency caused for the impact of the COVID pandemic on Mental Health and responding to the Opinion of the Reconstruction Commission ".
Five of the specialists appointed are chairpersons of Clinical Psychology and very active members in the Spanish Psychological Association (Colegio).
Sweden
Psychological ignorance behind many rejection decisions. September, 2021
Psychological ignorance behind many rejection decisions
September 27, 2021
Source : https://www.psykologforbundet.se/aktuella-fragor/nyheter_3/psykologisk-okunskap-bakom-manga-avvisningsbeslut/
The migration authorities need more knowledge about how separations affect young children's health and development. This is what several experts in the field write in a debate post in SvD.
According to the psychologists and researchers who wrote the debate post, the Migration authorities in their decision to deport three-year-old Tim alone to Nigeria, did not take into account either the Convention on the Rights of the Child or the psychological risk factors that a separation from related persons entails for such a small child.
Switzerland
The Federation of Swiss Psychologists (FSP) develops Swiss standards in the field of aptitude diagnostics. October, 2021
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There is currently no standardization in job-related aptitude diagnostics in Switzerland. The FSP closes this gap by developing a Swiss standard and introducing personal certification. Professional recruiting processes are used in many areas today. For both employers and employees, a good fit between the vacant position and the new employee is essential. This is the only way to achieve high job satisfaction and successful professional performance. Although recruitment processes are widely used, there are currently no standards in Switzerland on the qualifications of people who carry out aptitude tests. The FSP wants to change that and is proceeding in two steps.
FSP is developing a Swiss standard
In contrast to Germany, there is no guideline in Switzerland that specifically relates to job-related aptitude testing. In Germany, the standard “DIN 33430 Requirements for job-related aptitude diagnostics” regulates the procedure for aptitude assessments. Under the procedural guidance of the Swiss Association for Standardization (SNV), the FSP is currently working with interested experts to develop a Swiss standard for job-related aptitude testing. For this purpose, DIN 33430 is adapted to the specific needs of the Swiss stakeholder groups and then adopted in the Swiss set of standards.
Introduction of personal certification
The introduction of the Swiss standard forms the basis for the second step of standardization, namely the introduction of personal certification. The FSP is supported by representatives from universities, the public sector, the private sector and various associations and clubs in determining the admission criteria and developing the examination procedure. The certificate attests to those who are certified that they have sound theoretical and practical experience in the field of job-related aptitude diagnostics. In order to ensure a high level of quality, they also undertake to comply with Swiss standards in the course of their professional activities.
Ukraine
- The impact of the covid-19 pandemic on the mental well-being of pregnant women and young mothers in Ukraine. July, 2021
- The training course «climate change, mental health and environmentally conscious behavior» is ready for launch. September, 2021
- National events on world mental health day in Ukraine 2021. October, 2021
- World mental health day: a new project for elderly people has been started in Ukraine. October, 2021
- Big conference about crisis psychology: development of the professional community. November, 2021
- Interdisciplinary platform - a holistic view of a person. December, 2021
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The impact of the covid-19 pandemic on the mental well-being of pregnant women and young mothers in ukraine.
Vitalina Ustenko
July 29, 2021
Several studies have reported a predisposition of pregnant women to emotional instability and stress. Thus, pregnancy may be a risk factor that may exacerbate the already negative effects of the current COVID-19 pandemic. The National Psychological Association of Ukraine working group "Psychological support for pregnant women, young mothers and women who have suffered from domestic violence during quarantine" conducted its own study on the psycho-emotional state of pregnant women and young mothers during pandemic. So far, more than 500 women have been interviewed and we continue to receive data. The data are obtained mainly from large cities - Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhia, Odessa, etc., so the problematic issues we cover below are not only a "matter of periphery" as it is commonly said, but of the vast majority of Ukrainian women. 90.9% of respondents stressed that pregnant women and young mothers need additional psychological support during the quarantine period. Many respondents wrote in the comments that they were not able to get to the women's clinics for scheduled check-ups during the lockdown, or were forced to give up partner childbirth. Parenting schools or prenatal schools (where they are held) were abolished in hospitals. So even institutionally, women who have given birth or become pregnant have received fewer services in the last two years than women before. The vast majority (60% of women) indicated that their anxiety increased during quarantine. New fears and feelings about themselves and their children appeared. Unfortunately, the results we obtained turned out to be quite depressing. The vast majority of women (80%) feel the need to seek professional help, but cannot afford it for financial reasons or because of the lack of clarity in the selection of a specialist. Women's clinics and maternity hospitals rarely offer such assistance to women in need. For the most part, they can get it for a lot of money, but even here young or expectant mothers are often dissatisfied with the quality, because local psychologists do not have specialized education. Unfortunately, the causes of additional stress are often low qualifications of doctors who give outdated advice or criticize women for emotionality, fears, incompetence, etc. (all these examples are taken from the answers). We see the need to create guidelines with FAQs, self-help and the development of a support line where every woman could receive professional free help in the shortest possible time.
In the beginning of 2021 a team of psychologists from Ukraine won People’s Choice Award in the PsychSolutionsCompetition, a contest which is focused on innovative psychological ideas.
The concept was to create an online training course for psychologists, teachers and medical workers from Eastern Europe about climate change and mental health. The Office of International Affairs of the APA gave a grant to the Ukrainian team for a project realization.
For 8 months the team had been working on the content. We wanted to create informative and dynamic lectures, which would be awakening and engaging for people. Many specialists who work with people understand the problem in general, but they are extremely distant from the idea that their behavior contributes to the problem, and they can start to help the community from now on. Also, we have made a small research and realized the main attitudes toward climate change, the most common barriers of pro-environmental behavior and motivating emotions for changes among the specialists. The data was included in the lectures too. The developer's group gathered psychologists and ecologists.
As a result, we prepared 9 lectures which described climate change and how it reflects on Ukraine and what awaits Eastern Europe. Many Ukrainians are skeptical and not aware of climate problems, because they don’t face the problem of ice-melting or hurricanes directly, but our area has specific manifestations of climate change. We were going to show people the fact that the climate problem is closer to them, and it is about atypical rains, drought, temperature records, harvest losses, floods.
The second part of the course was dedicated to the topic of the influence of climate change and ecological crisis on mental health. Also, we highlighted positive connections between nature and human well-being. Kateryna Shkuropat, a member of our team, reported on this: «Psychological stress associated with climate change exacerbates preexisting mental health problems for people in both direct and indirect ways. Understanding the factors which are causing additional stress (rising temperatures and sea levels, air pollution, forced migration and other socio-economic consequences of natural disasters) will help us recognize a need for prevention and early intervention programs of action in at-risk groups. Having this in mind, parts of the course are dedicated towards the psychological outcomes of climate-related stress factors, as well as ways in which psychologists, teachers, and medical workers can approach the communication about climate change influencing mental health and boost resilience on individual and community levels».
Final part of the course pays attention to human behavior changes, attitudes, motivators, effective communication and strategies. Viktoria Gorbunova from our developers group commented: «Promoting environmentally conscious behavior is one of the main ways to prevent climate change and avoid possible disasters. It is known that human carelessness is the most significant contributor to climate change. What works and what does not in achieving mindful climate attitudes and responsive conduct? What kind of psychological theories and tools are effective in developing climate-friendly values and behaviors? These are the questions demanding essential answers».
The duration of the lectures is 6-20 minutes. Each has a clear visualization, questions for self-revision. At the end of the course, all participants can complete a final test and get a certificate.
Now, the course is available in Ukrainian and takes place at a big Ukrainian online learning platform. In the near future, we will translate it into English. If you are interested in hosting the English version of our course on your resources, please let us know and write to palii.valeriia@gmail.com
National events on world mental health day in ukraine 2021
Viktor Vus
October 11, 2021
National Events on World Mental Health Day (2021) in Ukraine were organized by the National Psychological Association of Ukraine in cooperation with the World Federation for Mental Health.
Measures to overcome the pandemic have caused/exacerbated the emergence of antagonistic tendencies both at the level of mental health of the individual and at the level of mental well-being of the community and the state.
The current situation is reminiscent of the "war of all against all" (mistrust, internal personal aggression, aggression in the family, socio-political aggression ...). That is why there is an urgent need to build a new state-social-internal individual consensus, to unite the efforts of specialists, social activists, and public officials for the well-being of both the community/state and the individual.
The aim of the National events was establishing a dialogue between society and the state and a wide social-awareness raising campaign in the field of mental health. The National activities this year included an international conference, which gathered psychologists, psychiatrists, civil activists, politicians and the press conference for the media and wide audience.
National Events were organized and conducted in an online virtual format to ensure a long-term effect on the dissemination of mental health literacy. The main results: geography: the geography of our Speakers and participants embraces all regions of Ukraine institutional environment:
- Civil Society Sector: National Psychological Association of Ukraine; International Platform on Mental Health; High School Psychologists Association
- Governmental: Educational House Human Rights; parliamentarians
- Academic: Institute for Social and Political Psychology; Ukrainian scientific-methodological center for practical psychology and social work
- International: World Federation for Mental Health; International Foundation “Renaissance”
The main topics which were covered are Mental Health and well-being of modern Ukrainians; Mental Health and well-being of modern Ukrainian psychologists; State initiatives to build the mental health and well-being of Ukrainians; How modern youth perceives government initiatives to build the mental health and well-being of Ukrainians; A "palette" of psychological methods of looking after one's own mental health.
The number of participants/viewers in the first days of the Events was about 1000 people; materials of the Speakers' presentations were distributed via the e-resources of the Organizers for further involvement of the audience; An international Proceeding is being prepared for dissemination of scientifically proven knowledge on mental health care in Ukraine. In the future it is planned to establish a National Library on Mental Health.
World mental health day: a new project for elderly people has been started in Ukraine
Mariana Velykodna
October 11, 2021
Every year on the 10th of October psychologists and other mental health workers unite their efforts to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and cooperate for better psychological support due to World Mental Health Day.
This year, a new psychological project dedicated to this important date has been started in Ukraine. An initiative group from the Division “Psychoanalytic Psychology and Psychotherapy” of the National Psychological Association of Ukraine and leaders of All-Ukrainian Charitable foundation “Zhyttieliub” (“Life Lover”) decided to organize a 6-months opportunity for elderly people who seek psychological support but cannot afford it.
When most modern authors insist that psychoanalytic experience is highly effective and valuable for elderly people (e.g., Lipson, 2002; Valenstein, 2000; Wagner, 2005), they are rather rare clients of Ukrainian practitioners. Moreover, as social workers of “Zhyttieliub” confirmed, it is not common for most of elderly people in Ukraine to use psychological services even in case of severe sufferings. That is why one of the project’s goals was to provide the population aged 60+ with appropriate propaganda of professional psychological care.
The team of the project united 16 psychoanalytic psychologists and psychoanalysts as volunteers, 2 experienced psychoanalytic psychotherapists as supervisors, 1 lecturer and counsellor for volunteers with the expertise in gerontopsychology, 1 project coordinator. For better results, volunteers of the project are provided with weekly supervisions and sessions of analysis of published cases every fortnight.
From October 2021 to the end of March 2022, beneficiaries of the project may get their remote consultations and psychoanalytic sessions via the Internet or mobile phone. The remote format of psychological support was chosen due to 2 reasons:
1) the COVID-19 pandemic issues;
2) the aim to reach people from different areas of living.
Call for participants of the project was widely shared through the social media and websites of co-organizers. They suppose that at least 100 beneficiaries will take advantage of this offer during the upcoming months. The National Psychological Association of Ukraine expects that this project will contribute to the general process of breaking walls between elderly people and providers of psychological care.
On November 4-6, 2021, the National Psychological Association of Ukraine (NPA) organizes a conference "Psychology of Crises: Science and Practice". Considering the increased influence of stress factors on a person in the modern world (pandemic situation, economical crisis, local wars), the topic of crisis has become even more relevant. Due to these factors and the fact that Ukraine has been at war for more than 7 years, the National Psychological Association of Ukraine is organizing a conference at which some of the best theoretical and practical developments in working with PTSD, transgenerational trauma, attachment trauma, work with loss and grief, psychosomatic disorders and more. One of the leading goals of the conference is the systematization and expansion of knowledge and tools of the professional community of mental health professionals.
Among the speakers of the conference will be Janae Weinhold (USA), Isabel Fernandez (Italy), Eva Münker-Kramer (Austria), Hans-Hermann Baertz (Germany), Hans Rudolf Zurfluh (Switzerland), Caner Bingöl (Turkey), Roger Solomon (USA), Onno Van Der Hart (Netherlands), Dolores Mosquera (Spain), Volodymyr Voloshyn (Ukraine), Knut Andersen (Norway), Erik de Soir (Belgium), Paul Miller (UK), Arye Bursztyn (Israel), Margarida Gaspar de Matos ( Portugal), Denis Flores (Australia).
The working language of the conference will be English.
Interdisciplinary platform - a holistic view of a person
Vitalina ustenko.
December 17-18, 2021
For the third time, the public organization "Psychologists Without Borders", an organization that is part of the National Psychological Association of Ukraine together with several institutes of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine initiates a conference under the general title "Human arts". The organizing committee is made up of industry professionals who have found that they are cramped within its framework.
The first conference was dedicated to finding the crossroads of psychology, philosophy and philology. We found a lot of problems that are common for our areas. Be it the values of the individual and the language that forms them, ending with social psychology, the language of media and ideology. Last year, the topic was devoted to the role of personality in history. We were joined by a group of culturologists and aesthetics, examining the interpenetration of a person and the spokesmen of history, the cutting of art into a person and vice versa. The upcoming conference illuminates the problems of space in our time and covers related disciplines - psychogeography, environmental philosophy, landscape philology, urban studies, street art etc.
A distinctive feature of "Human Arts" is that at the end of each conference we hold a round table on very practical issues that, in the understanding of the sages of all times, always required the presence of an intellectual elite to solve them, and which is so lacking now. Human Arts 2021 (17-18.12.2021) asks how civic initiatives can influence the preservation and rethinking of urban space - their methodology, ideology and perspectives. We invite all colleagues to participate and discuss the space of our life (humanartsconf@gmail.com).
United Kingdom
- Application : Chair of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Board
- BPS conference 2021: Getting through a potentially traumatic event. September 2021
- Call to close the gap in children's mental health support. September 2021
- The reality of hybrid working is pretty complex. October 2021
Are you a passionate and visionary advocate for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion?
This new strategic Board will champion EDI through shared best practice, events and learning opportunities aimed at increasing knowledge, understanding and proactive EDI delivery to challenge bias and discrimination
Read application requirements here
The closing date for applications for the role is 21 November 2021.
Call to close the gap in children's mental health support
Septembre 20, 2021
New report and event from the Anna Freud Centre to share good practice from the North West.
The Anna Freud Centre has published a report on the significant challenges faced nationally to close the gap in children and young people’s mental health support. The report spotlights six areas of children's lives in which more collective action is needed, but where some pioneering advances are being made.
'The reality of hybrid working is pretty complex’
October 13, 2021
Ella Rhodes spoke to visiting Professor of Occupational Health Psychology Gail Kinman (Birkbeck, University of London) and Dr Christine Grant, Deputy Head of the School of Psychological, Social and Behavioural Sciences (Coventry University), ahead of their British Psychological Society webinar on ways to make home working a success.
