CONTENTS

COVER: Psychology in Egypt

Meet CIRP 2012.................... 4

Senior Director’s Column: Access to the World of Psychology……………..……….... 5 APA-USNC Travel and Mentoring Program.............. 6

New Zealand Journal of Psychology Special Issue..... 7

Psychology in Action: Psychologist Prescriptive Authority in Europe............... 8

Global Health: Jefferson Science Fellow..... 9

Global Mental Health: Niches and Networks…...…….....…… 10

Psychology at the UN: UN Matters.......................... 13

Update on 52: APA’s International Division.......... 15

Recently Published.............. 16 Selected Review from PsycCRITIQUES.................... 17

ANNOUNCEMENTS ........... 19

NEWS AND UPDATES FROM THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS March 2012

Psychology International Volume 23, Number 1, March 2012

For an online version, visit: www.apa.org/international/pi

Psychology in Egypt: Challenges and Hopes

By Wael M.Y. Mohamed, MD, PhD, Menoufiya University, Egypt

In this article, Dr. Mohamed

provides an overview of the history

and development of psychology in

Egypt and discusses some of the

current challenges and potentials

regarding the state of psychology as

a discipline. Because Egypt was

the gate through which modern

psychology spread into the region,

the general strengths and

weaknesses of Egyptian psychology

are often seen throughout other

countries in the Middle East.

INTRODUCTION

The modern discipline of psychology began in the 19th century. In the pre-modern Islamic

context, the term ‗psychology‘ referred to the study of human mind and behavior, while the

term ‗mind‘ referred to human intellect and consciousness. Thus, medieval Islamic

psychology did not deal with the mind only (Ashy, 1999). Early Arab and Muslim scholars

wrote extensively about human psychology. They used the term Nafs (self or soul) to indicate

individual personality and the term fitrah (nature) as an indication for human nature. Nafs is

a broad term that includes the qalb (heart), the ruh (spirit), the aql (intellect) and irada (will).

Early Muslim scholars had a certain philosophy in their writing that encompassed all areas

of human enquiry, i.e. the knowledge of all things, both divine and human (Ashy, 1999).

Therefore, Islamic psychology, or Ilm-al Nafsiat (psychological sciences), referred to the

study of Nafs and was related to psychology, psychiatry, and neurosciences (Deuraseh and

Abu Talib, 2005). Al-ilaj al-nafsy (psychological therapy) in Islamic medicine was simply

defined as the study of mental illness and is equal to psychotherapy, as it deals with curing/

treatment of ideas, soul and vegetative mind. The psychiatric physician was referred to as al-

tabib al-ruhani or tabib al-qalb (spiritual physician) (Deuraseh and Abu Talib, 2005).

Moreover, the Islamic and Arabic psychological era included the establishment of the first

mental hospitals, the development of the first clinical approach to mental illness, and a

unique experimental approach to the study of the mind (Khaleefa, 1999; Paladin, 1998).

DEVELOPMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY IN EGYPT

As stated by German experimentalist Hermann Ebbinghaus, there is no doubt that

psychology has a long past but only a short history. Looking back, the first psychological

experiment was performed by an Egyptian King during the seventh century B.C. (Hunt,

1993, p.1). The experiment hypothesized that, if Egyptian children were isolated during

infancy without any means of language communication, they would spontaneously speak

the original language of civilization: Egyptian. This experiment underscored the idea that

thoughts and language come from the mind.

Western psychology was introduced in Egypt in the early decades of the twentieth century.

From Egypt, psychology was introduced into and practiced by all Arab countries. Many Arab

scholars contributed to the history of the discipline. Some famous names include Al-Farabi,

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL * March 2012

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Ibn-Sina (Avicenna), Ibn-Roshd, Ibn-al-Heitham and Ibn-

Khaldoun (for more details, see Mohamed, 2008). Modern

psychology flourished in Egypt after the establishment of the

first formal university in 1908 (The Egyptian University)

(Rizk, 1998). Later on, a mission was organized of sending

national graduate students abroad to obtain scientific degrees

and thus qualify as future faculty members (Reid, 1990, p.

63). This program is still operating efficiently. I received a

four-year graduate scholarship through it to get my Ph.D.

from Pennsylvania State University in the U.S.

The first psychological lecture addressed the psychology of

women in 1911 (Cairo University, 1983, p. 59). During this

time period, psychology was taught by French teachers, but,

beginning in 1940 and thereafter, this responsibility was

handed over to Egyptian psychologists. The best known

Egyptian teacher was ―Y. Mourad,‖ who had obtained his

degree from France (―docteur des letters‖ in experimental

psychology) under the supervision of H. Piéron and H.

Délacroix (Soueif MI and Ahmed RA, 2001). In 1945, the

Egyptian Journal of Psychology was established in parallel with

the founding of the Association of Integrative Psychology. The

Egyptian Journal of Psychology had a short life-span, from 1945

until 1953, when it was terminated due to financial issues.

Concomitantly, there was a tremendous increase in the

number of qualified psychologists (with Ph.D.) as soon as two

additional universities were established; Alexandria University

and Ain-Shams University. Later on, in 1956, a law was

passed, defining the legal status of psychotherapists, and in

1959-1960 a postgraduate diploma in applied psychology was

started at Cairo University (Soueif MI and Ahmed RA, 2001).

CHALLENGES

Egypt was the gateway of modern psychology to other Arab

countries. As a consequence, most of the Arab world shares

the same strengths and weaknesses as the psychological

discipline does in Egypt. This to a great extent stems from

sharing similar socio-cultural factors, e.g. language, history,

religion, political environment, etc. In this section I highlight

the main characteristics of psychology in Egypt, pointing to

some of the challenges:

TECHNICAL & PROFESSIONAL CHALLENGES

1) Egyptian Universities face economic hardships, like other

sectors of Egyptian society. This affects academic output,

psychology included, e.g. heavy bureaucracy, budget, and

administrative issues, low ratio of student/instructors.

2) The psychology departments in Egypt are part of Faculties of

Arts rather than standing as a separate discipline. Therefore,

psychology finds itself between literary studies and the scientific

disciplines. This in turn affects the impression of the field and

poses serious limitations to its development. Also, in some

Universities, psychology is usually practiced as part of neurology.

Over the years there has been a conflict between two groups of

psychologists: the first being composed of medical faculty

members; and the second including the faculty members of the

graduate schools. Such conflict yields a characteristic version of

psychology with a split identity and a disfigured public image.

3) Most research publications in psychology are published

either in Journals of Social Studies or Egyptian Journals of

psychology. Much of this literature, in my opinion, is

repetitive, fragmented and non-cumulative, and does not

provide normative data about local populations to be used

for comparisons. Often, Egyptian researchers use exported

normative data from Western countries to compare their

samples. Thus, there may be a lack of reliability or validity of

conclusions for Egyptian samples.

4) Many of the Western tools of investigation, especially paper

and pencil tests, have been translated to Arabic. However,

computer-based tests are still uncommon, as we (Egyptian

psychologists) do not have the resources to develop an Arabic

interface for such tests. Moreover, normative data for those

tests are based on the Western samples, e.g. White, African-

American, etc., which do not necessarily fit the Egyptian or

Arab populations, owing to multiple socio-cultural factors.

5) Experimental psychology (animal psychology) does not

receive much attention in the psychological institutes. Thus,

there is a huge gap between preclinical and clinical psychology.

6) The translation of Western textbooks poses an important

obstacle for the development of psychology in Egypt.

Numerous Western textbooks have been translated into Arabic

since the 1950s. Moreover, there are only two psychological

associations in Egypt with limited memberships, activities and

influence in the field (Ahmed, 1992).

7) Many subspecialties in psychology do not exist in Egypt.

One such example is political psychology, which is not

recognized in Egypt because its theoretical framework is not

well formulated (Jakovljevic, 2011). Development of these

subspecialties are important because, in the case of political

psychology, it provides an understanding of human nature,

emotion, and behavior in politics (Sapiro, 2001). Such an

understanding is especially important in Egypt, where the

political atmosphere is such that Egyptians were forbidden to

discuss the life of their most recent president. After the

revolution, psychologists in Egypt hope to examine political

behaviors (i.e. hubris syndrome) and present them to public.

A photograph of Cairo University taken in 1945 (formerly known

as Egyptian University and later Fouad University)

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL * March 2012

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SOCIO-CULTURAL CHALLENGES

1) The job market for psychology graduates in Egypt is

reasonably good, with positions in the Ministry of Health,

Ministry of Education, or Ministry of Industry. However,

these positions are often not well defined.

2) There are common myths and misconceptions about the

public image of psychology, including, but not limited to the

following:

A belief that mental illness is a sign of weakness in the faith;

A belief that people in need of psychiatric care should be

locked away in special institutions, as mentally-ill people

are often considered to be dangerous to society;

A belief that people with mental disorders must work low-

level jobs, because they are not competent for important

or responsible jobs; and,

A belief that mental disease is mainly due to Jinn

(demon) whispers or Jinn possession, so they need a

spiritual kind of treatment and not medical treatment, e.g.

in the case of epilepsy.

HOPES/FUTURE

Despite several challenges, at present, Egyptian psychologists

are estimated to make up about 70% of the total Arab

psychologist population. Moreover, psychological research

in Egypt constitutes about 70% of the total Arabic output

(Ahmed and Gielen, 1998). We (as Egyptian psychologists)

hope to get involved in collaborations with colleagues

overseas and in projects funded, in order to establish a

normative database for various psychological tests tuned to

our own people. Also, we hope to have professional

meetings of psychological societies like the National

Academy of Neuropsychology in our area, to help us in

developing psychology in our part of the world.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

There is no doubt that psychological conceptions were presented

to Egyptian learners long ago. The psychological literatures and

researches conducted in Arabic since the early 1940s have

grown extensively with a parallel growth in the number of

psychology students attending universities and institutions all

over the Arab world, especially Egypt. Egyptian psychologists

published in selected central areas in psychology. For instance,

social and personality psychology accounts for 30% of the

published research, 2.4% of psycho-physiological investigations,

and almost no work in the field of animal psychology (Soueif

and Ahmed, 2001). There are many challenges that face the

development of modern psychology in Egypt, including funding

to support research activities of psychologists, lack of an

effective flow of communication among Egyptian psychologists,

and blurred problematic academic identity. Certainly,

development of this empirical branch of science within Egypt

will not be easy to accomplish, but it has to be done. Ψ

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Mohamed received his MD

from Menoufiya University in

Egypt and worked as a lecturer

of psychopharmacology before

receiving a scholarship to pursue

a PhD in Neuroscience at

Pennsylvania State University. He

was awarded his PhD in

December 2011. He can be reached

by email at wmy107@gmail.com.

REFERENCES

Ahmed, R.A., Gielen, U.P. (1998). Psychology in the Arab world. In R.A. Ahmed, & U.P. Gielen (Eds.), Psychology in the Arab Countries

(pp. 3-48). Menoufia: Menoufia University Press.

Ahmed, R.A. (1992). Psychology in the Arab countries. In U.P. Gielen, L.L. Adler, & N.A. Milgram (Eds.), Psychology in International

Perspective: 50 Years of the International Council of Psychologists (pp. 127-

150). Amsterdam: Swets & Zeitlinger.

Ashy, M.A. (1999). Health and illness from an Islamic perspective.

Journal of Religion and Health, 38, 241-257.

Cairo University 75th Anniversary (1983). A historical registry. Cairo:

Cairo University Press.

Deuraseh, N., & Abu Talib M. (2005). Mental health in Islamic medical

tradition. The International Medical Journal, 4, 76-79.

Hunt, M. (1993). The story of psychology (1st ed). New York, NY:

Anchor Books.

Jakovljevic, M. (2011). Hubris syndrome and a new perspective on

political psychiatry: Need to protect prosocial behavior, public benefits

and safety of our civilization. Psychiatria Danubina, 23, 136-138.

Khaleefa, O. (1999). Who is the founder of psychophysics and experimental

psychology? American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, 16, 2.

Mohamed, W.M.Y. (2008). History of Neuroscience: Arab and Muslim

contributions to modern neuroscience. IBRO History of Neuroscience.

[http://www.ibro.info/Pub/Pub_Main_Display.asp?

LC_Docs_ID=3433].

Paladin, A.V. (1998) Ethics and neurology in the Islamic world:

Continuity and change. Ital J Neurol Sci., 19, 255-258.

Reid, D.M. (1990). Cairo University and the making of modern Egypt.

Cairo: The AUC Press.

Rizk, Y.L. (1998). The Egyptian University. Al-Ahram, 12 November,

1998. (Egyptian newspaper) (in Arabic).

Sapiro, V. (2001). Introduction to Political Psychology. [http://

www.polisci.wisc.edu/users/sapiro/ps267.htm].

Soueif M.I., & Ahmed, R.A. (2001). Psychology in the Arab world: Past,

present and future. International Journal of Group Tensions, 30, 211-240.

Dr. Wael Mohamed

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL * March 2012

EMAIL: INTERNATIONAL@APA.ORG 4

Introducing the 2012 APA

Committee on International Relations in Psychology!

APA‘s Committee on International Relations in Psychology

(CIRP) aims to foster interactions between psychologists in the

U.S. and their colleagues abroad, while promoting an

international perspective of psychology within programs,

policies, and educational settings. CIRP is also responsible for

naming the annual recipient of the APA Award for

Distinguished Contributions to the International Advancement

of Psychology and the International Humanitarian Award.

After another successful year, the 2012 Committee is again

gearing up for its annual spring consolidated meeting. Puncky

Heppner and Tina Richardson will take over leadership of the

committee for 2012, and we all welcome CIRP newcomers

Jean Lau Chin, Virginia Kwan, and Bonnie Nastasi as they

begin their term. Here are the members of CIRP 2012:

Puncky Paul Heppner, PhD, Co-Chair

Dr. Heppner is Curators’ Professor and Director of the Center for Cultural Competence at the University of

Missouri-Columbia. He has been involved in a wide array of multicultural and international activities (e.g. research, cross-cultural teaching, mentoring). He has also

been a prolific researcher, and the recipient of numerous research, teaching, mentoring, and service awards,

including APA’s Award for Distinguished Contributions

to the International Advancement of Psychology.

―I am not only very honored to serve as Co-Chair of CIRP, but

also absolutely delighted to share this role with Dr. Tina Richardson who has such a deep array of cultural skills. The CIRP

Committee is an extremely talented and visionary group of psychologists, and I have been extremely impressed not only by

their exceptionally broad array of cross-cultural knowledge and

skills, but by their dedication to strengthen psychology at home and abroad. Moreover, I have been extremely impressed with the

Office of International Affairs Director Merry Bullock for her vision, systematic and strategic planning, and dedication to the

globalization of psychology.‖

Tina Q. Richardson, PhD, Co-Chair

Dr. Richardson is a Professor and Associate Dean of the

School of Education at Drexel University. She is also a Fellow at the Center for Collaborative Online and

International Learning (COIL), an American Council on Education Fellow, and a recipient of multiple

Fulbright-Hays Awards. Her teaching and scholarship focuses on assessing learning outcomes associated with

international experiences and multicultural competence.

― I feel extremely privileged to have the opportunity to serve as Co-

Chair of CIRP and contribute to the bi-directional exchange of

psychology internationally. I take very seriously the opportunity to work with my Co-Chair, Dr. Puncky Heppner, and the Director of

OIA, Merry Bullock, as well the CIRP members who have an unwavering commitment to promote psychology as a science. I

am excited about helping to implement the CIRP strategic plan and support proactive initiatives to enhance international

collaborations that promote and develop psychology globally.‖

Susan V. Opotow, PhD

John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Focus: social and organizational psychology;

aggression, conflict, and peace; morality and ethics;

organizational behavior; intergroup relations; applied social psychology

Bonnie K. Nastasi, PhD

Tulane University

Focus: school psychology; culturally appropriate

health promotion and health risk prevention

programming for child, adolescent, and adult populations

Virginia Kwan, PhD

Arizona State University

Focus: social & personality psychology; social-

perception processes; diversity and multicultural

identity dynamics; cultural priming; judgment & decision making

Chris E. Stout, PsyD

Center for Global Initiatives

Focus: clinical psychology; global psychology and

healthcare, complex systems, and overcoming

mediocrity

Chandra MN Mehrotra, PhD

College of St. Scholastica

Focus: gerontology; aging and diversity; statistics,

research methodology, psychological measurement, and program evaluation

Jean Lau Chin, EdD

Adelphi University, Gordon F. Derner

Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies

Focus: clinical psychology; diversity and cultural

competence; Asian American health and mental

health; leadership styles; psychotherapy straining and clinical practice

Barbara M. Byrne, PhD

University of Ottawa

Focus: statistics; statistical methodology of structural

equation modeling; cross-cultural research and testing

practices; construct validation issues related to the

measurement and structure of self-concept, burnout, and depression

EMAIL: INTERNATIONAL@APA.ORG 5

Access to the World of Psychology By Merry Bullock, PhD, Senior Director,

APA Office of International Affairs

As psychology works to build a global

discipline that embraces and understands

perspectives on behavior from multiple

cultures, histories, and peoples, mobility

and accessibility become important

currencies. Although similar, these two

terms refer to different aspects of

international interchange. Mobility refers

to the ease with which we can engage in

multiple professional roles across borders

and requires understanding and agreement on educational

systems, professional training, regulations, titles, and the like.

Accessibility in this context refers to the ease with which we

can engage in activities important to the discipline – be it

finding and reading the literature, attending meetings and

conferences, finding training, and the like. This column is the

first of two on these important aspects and focuses on access.

What would a world of perfect access look like? It would be a

world in which opportunities for professional activities,

collaborations, and exchange were not limited by geography or

resources. It would include flexible ways to find and read the

literature relevant to psychology – scientific studies, policy

papers, briefs, brochures, and reports. It would also include

ways for psychologists from around the world to meet—at

conferences, congresses, small working meetings—and to

collaborate in research design, implementation, and analysis. It

would also include ways to overcome language barriers so that

literature is available regardless of the writer‘s native language.

How close are we to this world? Although psychologists

around the world read the literature, attend meetings, share

data, and find ways to meet and collaborate, access across

the globe is far from uniform. Specific barriers to access include

distance, finances, and language. To move beyond these

barriers, we, as a discipline, might think of embracing broad

access as one of our goals. APA does this already through its

databases, which provide access to abstracts from nearly 2,500

journals with English language abstracts. Redalyc, an Ibero-

American consortium provides databases covering more than

60 Spanish language journals. Other examples include the

virtual libraries of psychology developed in Latin America.

Psychologists are increasingly contributing to data archives,

making data available to others for re-analysis or meta-

analysis. APA and other publishers also participate in

programs to provide psychologist in developing countries with

access to these databases (HINARI, under the auspices of

WHO). In addition, APA and other organizations provide

grants to enable international colleagues to attend scientific

meetings. Organizations are developing plans for making

conventions virtual, increasing access through webinars or

streaming video. Other organizations increase access by

providing resource information (e.g., Psychology Resources

Around the World—http://bit.ly/pratw) or capacity building

activities (such as those by IUPsyS, IAAP, and IACCP).

As a discipline, psychology is not doing so well with language.

Ninety-plus percent of the literature is still in English, and English

speakers have little access to the thriving publications of other

countries, which are largely not in English. And few psychology

programs require a second language proficiency for graduation.

Probably the greatest barrier to discipline-wide access is resources.

In many countries, libraries are under-stocked, and internet access

is expensive or unavailable. In others there are few resources to

support conference attendance or exchange. We as a discipline

need to develop strategies for finding funding to support access

broadly, and we need to convince our funders that supporting a

broad international agenda will also benefit researchers at home.

What are your barriers to access? Please help begin a dialogue by

sending your thoughts to international@apa.org with ―Access‖

in the subject line. We promise an open door for comments! Ψ

SENIOR DIRECTOR’S COLUMN

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL * March 2012

SAVE THE DATE!

Fifth Annual Psychology Day at the United Nations Thursday, April 19, 2012

12:30 PM—4:30 PM

Theme: Human Rights for Vulnerable People: Psychological

Contributions and the United Nations Perspective

Panels:

Mental Health and Sustainable Development

Refuge and Psychosocial Wellbeing

Poverty Eradication in the Lives of Women and Children

Email: unpsychday@gmail.com

Web: http://unpsychologyday.org - Register by April 12th!

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL * March 2012

EMAIL: INTERNATIONAL@APA.ORG 6

2012 APA-USNC Mentoring Program at the

International Congress of Psychology (ICP2012)

The APA-USNC International Mentoring Program is jointly sponsored by the APA Office of International Affairs and the U.S.

National Committee for Psychological Science, and funded by the National Science Foundation. The goal of this program is to

support U.S. psychologists and psychology students in attending the 30th International Congress of Psychology (ICP 2012) in

Cape Town, South Africa, July 22-27, 2012. The program pairs psychology students and early-career psychologists with mid–

and senior-level psychologists who have experience in international research and collaborations. As mentors and mentees, these

psychologists will explore networking, international contacts, and collaborations. The 2012 program awardees are listed below:

The United Nations Holds its Annual Commission on the Status of Women The 56th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New

York from February 27 to March 9, 2012. The primary theme of this year‘s session was the empowerment of rural women and

their role in poverty and hunger eradication, development, and current challenges. The Psychology Coalition at the UN (APA,

IAAP, ICP, IUPsyS, and SPSSI) sponsored a parallel event titled ―Transforming Communities through Psychosocial

Empowerment of Poor Rural Women and Girls.‖ The speakers discussed outreach to rural women in Peru and India; using

psychosocial interventions to empower girls to return to school; and transforming rural communities through environmental

initiatives. The CSW is a functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council, held annually since 1946. During the

10-day Commission, Member State representatives gather at the UN Headquarters to evaluate progress on gender equality,

identify challenges, set global standards, and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and women‘s empowerment

worldwide. For more details on this year‘s CSW, please visit www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/56sess.htm. Ψ

MENTORS:

Michael Beran, PhD

(Georgia State University)

Arpana Inman, PhD

(Lehigh University)

Bruce Overmier, PhD

(University of Minnesota)

Nan Sussman, PhD

(College of Staten Island, CUNY)

Janet Swim, PhD

(Pennsylvania State University)

Patrick Tolan, PhD

(University of Virginia)

Jeffrey Zacks, PhD

(Washington University)

EARLY-CAREER PSYCHOLOGISTS:

Dana Basnight-Brown, PhD

(University of Albany, SUNY)

Vivian Dzokoto, PhD

(Virginia Commonwealth University)

Kelly Liao, PhD

(University of Missouri-St. Louis)

Bonnie M. Perdue, PhD

(Georgia State)

Carlos Santos, PhD

(Arizona State University)

Michael F. Steger, PhD

(College of Natural Sciences, Colorado)

Rebecca White, PhD

(University of Chicago)

Gui Xue, PhD (UCLA)

GRADUATE STUDENTS:

Wendy Baccus

(George Mason University)

Bonnie Brett

(University of Maryland)

Max E. Butterfield

(Texas Christian University)

Eva Dundas

(Carnegie Mellon University)

Juliana Schroeder

(University of Chicago)

Jonathan Stange

(Temple University)

From left: Jennifer Weber, Maame Yelbert-

Obeng, Rucha Chitnis, Kurt Salzinger,

Liliana Mayo, Deanna Chitayat

Paraellel event speakers: Rucha Chitnis, Liliana

Mayo, Maame Yelbert-Obeng, Judy Kuriansky, Usha Nayar, Deanna Chitayat (Chair),

Christina Kirkman (Moderator), Mary Berry

From left: Maame Yelbert-Obeng, Rucha

Chitnis, Liliana Mayo

EMAIL: INTERNATIONAL@APA.ORG 7

A Special Issue of the New

Zealand Journal of Psychology Focuses on Disasters and the Canterbury Earthquakes

The New Zealand Psychological Society (NZPsS) has released

a Special Issue of the New Zealand Journal of Psychology that

presents research and a range of professional experiences

related to the changing condition of the Canterbury‘s

population in the aftermath of its 2010 and 2011 earthquakes.

The Special Issue may be of interest to

a wide audience as it brings together

information on preparation for,

survival of, and recovery from the

ongoing disaster affecting a tenth of

New Zealand‘s population and a

quarter of its economy. Pictures and

commentaries help bring out the

reality of what is being reported in

each area. Other disaster settings offer lessons and methods.

Data and analysis look at aspects of difficult decisions, such as

how to communicate the little that is known, and of

encouraging what can be done in future.

A Foreword and Editorial give more information on the purpose

and scope of this collection of peer-reviewed science,

professional experience, and impressions from the field in a

wide range of psychological matters: the responses of

communities to the experience their members have been

having; care for those who cope sometimes and not other times;

identifying those who need special care; provisions made in

education, health and the services to maintain capability for as

long as it takes, keeping organisations going in the long, dark

aftermath. We draw your attention to three papers:

(1) In ―How Communities in Christchurch Have Been Coping with

Their Earthquake,‖ Libby Gawith of Christchurch focuses on

the things Christchurch residents had to cope with on February

22, 2011, and how they were coping by the end of 2011. The

changes and strains are reported frankly and with constructive

suggestions for recovery from future disasters. This is a

compilation of how ordinary people in the community coped,

how things have changed, and what they have done to keep

their communities functioning as the year has passed.

(2) In ―New Zealanders’ Judgments of Earthquake Risk Before and

After the Canterbury Earthquake,‖ John McClure and colleagues

report on perceptions of risk and willingness to prepare for

disasters in Christchurch, Wellington, and Palmerston North.

Research shows that experience with disasters makes a

difference in the willingness to prepare for them. They also

report a change in people‘s views of the likelihood and risk of

major earthquakes, which varied with their connection to

people affected by the Canterbury shaking. Making

preparations appears to reduce distress during disasters, so there

is some evidence to support learning through the experience of

others. Publicizing the benefits of preparedness does not seem

to have the same impact in motivating readiness.

(3) In ―The Communication of Uncertain Scientific Advice During

Natural Hazard Events,‖ Emma Doyle and colleagues report

research into the public understanding of different phrasings

of the probability of an event. How probability is expressed

can influence understanding, affecting the choices people

make and the actions they take. Interpretations may differ

between scientists and non-scientists, and there seems a

tendency in some people to believe an adverse event

happened towards the end of a period of likelihood, rather

than at random across the period. These interpretation biases

have implications for how technical material should be

reported, so that people can act in accordance with the risk.

This journal is distributed digitally. You can obtain a PDF

copy from the web portal at www.psychology.org.nz. There

are a limited number of bound copies available. Ψ

ABOUT THE SOCIETY

The New Zealand Psychological Society (NZPsS) is the

largest professional association for psychologists in New

Zealand. It has over 1000 members and aims to improve

individual and community wellbeing by representing,

promoting, and advancing the scientific discipline and

practice of psychology. See www.psychology.org.nz for

more information about the Society.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Society has had considerable assistance from the

University of Canterbury, Massey University, and their Joint

Centre for Disaster Research (with GNS). Geoff Trotter,

Tony Brunt and Ross Becker, photographers of

Christchurch, have allowed us to use their images to help

people understand the changes underway for Canterbury.

SPECIAL ISSUE EDITORS:

Frank O‘Connor, President, New Zealand Psychological

Professor Ian M. Evans, Massey University, Wellington

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL * March 2012

International Presidents Initiative at the 2012 APA Convention!

APA‘s 2012 President Suzanne Bennett Johnson has invited the presidents of national psychology associations outside the U.S. to attend the 2012 APA Convention in Orlando, Florida on August 2-5. This initiative will include a Symposium where the presidents discuss psychology‘s role in health, psychology as a major, and opportunities for international collaboration. The presidents (more than 25, to date) will receive special recognition at the Convention‘s opening ceremony and participate in APA‘s special Convention events.

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL * March 2012

EMAIL: INTERNATIONAL@APA.ORG 8

Psychologist Prescriptive Authority Movement in Europe By Elaine S. LeVine, PhD, ABMP, New Mexico State University

The movement to allow psychologists with appropriate post-doctoral training

to prescribe psychotropic medications for their patients is based on three

heuristic propositions: 1) properly trained psychologists with prescriptive

authority can increase access to care for many underserved populations; 2)

the combination of psychotherapy plus psychotropic intervention, when

appropriate, is more efficacious than either approach alone; and 3) one

provider, skilled in psychodiagnostic and psychotherapeutic techniques, as

well as psychopharmacology provides a practical and less expensive means of

intervention for patients. Over a hundred psychologists in branches of the

military and in New Mexico and Louisiana have been prescribing for over ten

years and there have been no complaints of prescribing malpractice by

regulatory boards. Moreover, a body of case study evidence of prescribing

psychologists‘ efficacy as consultants about medication and active prescribers

is accruing (see LeVine, 2011; McGrath and Moore, 2010).

Presently, three programs have received designation from the American Psychological Association as having met the

educational guidelines for training prescribing psychologists as adopted by the American Psychological Council in August,

2010. These programs are housed at Alliant University in California, Fairleigh Dickenson University in New Jersey, and New

Mexico State University in New Mexico. All of these programs have drawn students primarily from the United States, but

because they employ distance education formats, they have also included psychologist/students from around the world.

The New Mexico State University Interdisciplinary Master‘s Degree in Psychopharmacology

(offered in conjunction with the Southwest Institute for the Advancement of Psychotherapy)

is unique in having provided classes to a cohort of Dutch psychologists. The nature of this

program was described in an earlier issue of Psychology International (www.apa.org/

international/pi/2008/12/netherlands.aspx). Thus far, 18 psychologists studied

psychopharmacology through online coursework, live chats, and eight live modules that were

presented in Amsterdam. The students‘ training culminated in a two week executive track

practicum in New Mexico, in which the Dutch psychologists shadowed various prescribing

psychologists throughout New Mexico and participated in an international forum on ethnic

diversity issues from an international perspective, sponsored by the Counseling and

Educational Psychology Department at New Mexico State University. Many of the Dutch

psychologists obtaining this training are the core activists attempting to pass a prescriptive

authority law for psychologists in the Netherlands. In addition, even before obtaining the

authority to prescribe, the Dutch psychologists are using the skills in psychopharmacology as

consultants in many venues. For example, one Dutch psychologist who works in a primary

care setting is now making the recommendations about psychotropic medications within the

clinic. Several Dutch graduates are now teaching courses on psychopharmacology.

New Mexico State University (the SIAP/NMSU), in conjunction with the Netherlands Institute of Psychology (NIP), is

initiating a new iteration of classes to begin in September of 2012. Like the previous program, many of these classes will be

taught online, and some will be offered live in Utrecht, Netherlands. We anticipate the program will be very effective and

interesting, as this iteration will be able to draw on the skills of the Dutch psychologists already trained in psychopharmacology,

as well as some medical personnel from the Netherlands who have become supportive of the movement. Because a central

purpose of this program is to provide quality care with increased access to underserved populations throughout the world, a

certain number of applicants for this iteration will be accepted from countries outside of the Netherlands.

The prescriptive authority movement has been driven by very lofty aspirations among psychologists to provide higher quality care

and greater access to care for underserved populations. It is very exciting to witness the evolution of this movement from its core

as a demonstration project in the U.S. Department of Defense twenty years ago, to its present international efforts. For more

information on the program, please visit the New Mexico State University website at education.nmsu.edu/cep/siap/index.html;

or contact Elaine LeVine at eslevine@hotmail.com or Huib van Dis at h.vandis@uva.nl. Ψ

PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION

Students dissecting a sheep brain

Students from the psychopharmacology program

during a Gross Anatomy of the Brain lecture

EMAIL: INTERNATIONAL@APA.ORG 9

A Jefferson Science Fellow in Global Health

By Robert L Balster, PhD, Virginia

Commonwealth University

Robert Balster is a professor of pharmacology

and toxicology at Virginia Commonwealth

University (VCU) and founding director of

the Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies.

He was awarded a 2011-2012 Jefferson

Science Fellowship, which selects tenured

American academics from the fields of

science, technology, and engineering to

provide the scientific expertise needed to

impact international policy decisions.

In early December 2010 I had a message on my university

office phone from my Vice President for Research asking me

to call him back, emphasizing that I wasn‘t in any trouble. It

turns out that VCU wanted to nominate me for a U.S. State

Department Jefferson Science Fellowship, with application

material due in mid-January. This Fellowship program is

directed at senior faculty with strong science backgrounds

who are willing to spend a year in Washington assigned to

one of the State Department‘s bureaus or agencies and advise

on science policy. The program is administered by the

National Academy of Sciences (sites.nationalacademies.org/

PGA/Jefferson/index.htm) and has been favorably reviewed

by the Carnegie Corporation (2010). The program was begun

in 2004 and is organized under the Office of the Science

Advisor for the Secretary of State.

Nearly all previous Fellows had come

from fields such as chemistry, physics,

engineering, environmental sciences,

nuclear energy and the like. Almost no

psychologists. Nonetheless, I was

encouraged by my university to apply,

and I received strong support from the

Science Directorate at APA, which

provided one of the required supporting

letters for me. This fellowship

opportunity came at a propitious time in my career as I was

already getting more involved in international science and

training. I had just finished a 12-year term as editor of an

international journal; I was the principal investigator on a

State Department supported Humphrey Fellowship Program

which brought cohorts of mid-career professionals to VCU for

a year of training and scientific/cultural exchange; and I had

co-founded an international online graduate program in

addiction studies jointly offered by King‘s College London,

the University of Adelaide, and VCU. Plus, I had participated

in several NIH-supported research and training grants for

international scientists to work in my laboratories.

CURRENT ACTIVITIES

It is now February 2012, and I have been in Washington

since last August along with 12 other Fellows. After arrival

and orientation I was given a very wide range of options at

the State Department where I could do my fellowship.

During the interviews I discovered that most of these units

had little experience with scientific psychology. Also, I

learned quickly that they were interested in me because I had

general science skills that could be applied to a wide range of

policy topics, not because of my research experience in the

area of substance abuse or because I am a behavioral

scientist. It made me appreciate once again the solid training

that psychologists have in scientific ways of thinking and

appreciation for evidence-based practices and policies.

I was placed in the Administrator‘s office

at the U.S. Agency for International

Development (USAID) Global Health

Bureau. USAID is a component of the

State Department and focuses on the

provision of foreign assistance in several

areas, including health. I am attached to

what is known as the Global Health

Initiative Launch Team. This team reports to Amie Batson, the

Deputy Assistant Administrator for Global Health, and I was

quickly taken under the wing of Elizabeth Higgs, an infectious

disease expert on loan to USAID from the NIH. A driving

philosophy behind the work of the Global Health Bureau is

President Obama‘s Global Health Initiative (GHI,

www.ghi.gov). There are several principles articulated in the

GHI, including goals such as increasing country involvement

and ownership in its health problems, strengthening country

systems for health delivery and research, and discovering and

implementing solutions that work.

The major focus of my work has been to assist USAID in

helping developing countries implement more of the solutions

that work. As scientists, we know that ―doing more of what

works‖ is a call for evidence-based practice and policy, but

infusing a culture of research and evaluation has significant

challenges. One of the ways I have been helping has been to

work with a small team to facilitate interactions between

USAID and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), given

NIH‘s investment in health research and evidence-based

practices. More can be done to link NIH research to the health

needs of other countries. Synergizing USAID and NIH makes

sense because USAID has extensive on-the-ground experience

with helping countries address their health problems. My

extensive experience in the NIH grant world has helped me

make a contribution to this initiative here at USAID.

Another important issue is defining what constitutes

―evidence‖ for evidence-based practice and policy in

developing countries. Since most research knowledge comes

from work that has been done in higher resource countries,

we need to ask how the knowledge generated by this work

can be applied globally. There can be many challenges in

advancing evidence-based practices inside the U.S., let alone

in settings where the evidence base is leaner. One strategy

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL * March 2012

GLOBAL HEALTH

Dr. Robert Balster

EMAIL: INTERNATIONAL@APA.ORG 10

USAID has employed to facilitate the use of research and

evaluation has been through the use of Global Health

Evidence Summits. I have been working as a technical

advisor for four of these. The first one was on ―Children

Living Outside of Family Care‖ (www.hvcassistance.org/

summit.cfm) where leaders in research and practice were

convened to review evidence and make recommendations. It

was great to see psychologists well represented among this

group of scientists. Three more Evidence summits are being

planned, including one on ―Sustainable Population Behavior

Change for Health Improvement in Lower and Middle

Income Countries‖ that is just in the early stages of planning.

So far, it has been a challenging and rewarding year as a

Jefferson Science Fellow. I have learned a lot about areas in

global health that I had not worked on before. I have learned

that my training and experience as a psychologist have value

in addressing a myriad of global health problems. I am

learning a lot about the functioning of a large governmental

agency and have developed deep respect for the difficult but

critically important work that is being done by USAID staff. I

am proud to be a small part of it. Ψ

Global Mental Health: Finding

Your Niches and Networks

© By Kelly O’Donnell, PsyD

Climb traveler, or stiffen slowly on the plain. ~ Irish proverb

Kelly O’Donnell is a consulting psychologist

based in Europe. He is an APA International

Affiliate, the CEO of Member Care Associates,

Inc., and Coordinator of the Mental Health and

Psychosocial Working Group of the Geneva-

based NGO Forum for Health (www.ngo-forum

-health.ch). Kelly’s publications include over

fifty articles in the member care field focusing

on the wellbeing and effectiveness of mission/

aid workers and their organizations. His two

most recent books are Doing Member Care

Well: Perspectives and Practices from Around the World (2002) and

Global Member Care: The Pearls and Perils of Good Practice (2011).

This article is the second in a series exploring the domain of

global mental health (GMH). The first article, ―A Resource

Map for Connecting and Contributing,‖ lists 10 core materials

for understanding GMH and presents practical suggestions for

GMH involvement (Psychology International, July 2011). This

current article takes a similar approach, offering additional

materials (written and multimedia links) that reflect important

aspects of GMH. The materials are organized into 10

overlapping ―niche-net‖ areas that can be quickly reviewed.

The goal is for colleagues in the health fields to relevantly

participate in GMH by identifying and considering

opportunities in various GMH niches and networks.

I define GMH as an international, interdisciplinary, and multi

-sectoral domain which promotes human wellbeing, the right

to health, and equity in health for all.

It encourages healthy behaviors and

lifestyles; is committed to preventing

and treating mental, neurological,

and substance use conditions (MNS);

and seeks to improve policies and

programs, professional practices and

research, advocacy and awareness, and

social and environmental factors that

affect health and wellbeing. Psychology,

as a vast field of practice and

practitioners serving humanity, plays

a central role in the GMH domain.

NICHE-WORKING AND NETWORKING IN GMH

Trying to make inroads into GMH can be a challenging and

lonely experience. This domain is behemoth, and it is easy to get

lost or discouraged in the effort to meaningfully connect and

contribute. In addition, not every colleague, organization, or

graduate program is oriented towards global issues and global

applications of mental health. In spite of our increasingly

globalized world, there are many challenges that keep us focused

on our own immediate, nearby ―worlds.‖ Making a living,

paying off school loans, raising a family, keeping abreast with

one‘s own field, or meeting the demands of a rigorous academic

program can seriously affect living our lives as ―global citizens.‖

Let me quickly balance the above comments with a far more

influential, positive factor in light of having lived and worked

internationally for 25 years as a consulting psychologist.

During this time I have seen the increasing desire of mental

health professionals and students around the world to be more

meaningfully involved in international issues. Regardless of

challenges, they want to use their training, passions, and

resources to help make a positive difference in the quality of

life for people. To support these growing aspirations, I recently

set out on a collaborative project called GMH-Map to further

orient people to GMH through publications, presentations,

and web-based resources¹. The materials listed in this article

are an example. Have a look at the 10 au courant areas below to

see what interests you. Do so with others! They can help us go

further into our GMH ―niche-working and networking.‖

Niche-Net 1: Human Rights. Here are quotes from two

foundational instruments that describe the rights of all

humans and those with disabilities, including mental

conditions. The first is from the Universal Declaration of Human

Rights (UNDHR, 1948, currently in over 380 languages).

The second is from the Convention on the Rights of Persons with

Disabilities (CRPD, 2006, currently in six languages).

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.

They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act

towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” (UDHR, Article 1).

“The purpose of the present Convention is to promote, protect and

ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and

fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to

promote respect for their inherent dignity. Persons with disabilities

include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL * March 2012

Dr. Kelly O’Donnell

EMAIL: INTERNATIONAL@APA.ORG 11

sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may

hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal

basis with others” (CRPD, Article 1).

Going further: See the website, United Nations Office of the

High Commissioner for Human Rights as well as the

QualityRights project by the World Health Organization

(WHO—e.g. two-page fact sheet).

Niche-Net 2: GMH Overview. WHO has produced several

educational videos which overview GMH facts and issues.

Mental Health (2011) is a seven-minute video presenting

general GMH information along with examples of mental

health improvements in Jordan.

Going further: Watch the six-minute video interview about

GMH in 2011 by the Global Health Institute at Duke

University. It is an interview with Vikram Patel who

highlights the serious issues in GMH, shares strategies for

reducing mental health gaps, and argues for the global

prioritization of mental health.

Niche-Net 3: Updates. The Movement for Global Mental

Health (MGMH) is a premier network connecting the

diversity of GMH colleagues. It was launched in 2008 and

currently has nearly 100 institutional members and over 1800

individual members. The MGMH compiles regular

newsletters with updates and information and offers various

resources on its web site. Have a look through the listed news

items to get a feel for what is happening in GMH.

Going further: Stay in touch via the newsletter-updates from

the WHO‘s mhGAP Programme and the news stories from

the World Federation for Mental Health.

Niche-Net 4: GMH Research. Two recent publications that

reflect cutting edges of research are the Grand Challenges in

Global Mental Health (Nature, 7 July 2011) and the Lancet’s

second series on GMH (17 October 2011). The ―Grand

Challenges‖ article is four-pages and worth a careful read,

noting especially the chart which identifies 25 research

priorities for GMH (e.g., integrating mental health into

primary health care, reducing cost and improving supply of

effective medications, providing community-based care,

improving children‘s access to care in low-middle income

countries, and strengthening mental health training for all

health personnel). The Lancet’s special GMH issue has six

articles summarizing research on mental health and poverty,

child and adolescent mental health, mental health in

humanitarian settings, scaling-up mental health services,

human resources for mental health, and human rights.

Going further: Read the Executive Summary of the WHO

Mental Health Atlas 2011 (pp. 10-11) on how mental health

resources internationally continue to be ―insufficient,

inequitably distributed, and inefficiently utilized.‖ There is also

a seven minute podcast interview/transcript about the findings.

Niche-Net 5: Humanitarian and Developmental

Assistance. Prioritizing Mental Health in Development Aid

Programs (2010) by the Global Initiative on Psychiatry is a six

-page overview for ―improving psychosocial and mental

health care in transitional and developing countries.‖

Going further: Read the Development and Maturation of

Humanitarian Psychology article in the American Psychologist,

November 2007 (link is for abstract only). See also The Sphere

Project: Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in

Humanitarian Response (2011) that includes mental health

assistance in emergency-humanitarian settings (pp. 333-336).

Niche-Net 6: Training. The Centre for Global Mental Health

(CGMH) in London is launching a Masters of Science course

in GMH, the first of its kind, in association with the London

School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Institute of

Psychiatry. In addition, a special GMH module can be

incorporated into a person‘s current masters program, and

there are opportunities for doctoral research related to GMH.

See also the summary on Internationalizing Psychology

Education (Monitor on Psychology, July 2008).

Going further: Review the Training and Education and the

Capacity Building Atlas sections on the MGMH website.

More examples of training include the international mental

health courses at the University of Melbourne‘s Centre for

International Mental Health and GMH-related presentations

at conferences such as the Annual APA Convention and the

International Congress of Psychology.

Niche-Net 7: GMH Advocacy. Two good examples among

many recent advocacy efforts are the Cape Town Declaration

(2011, one page) by the Pan African Network of People with

Psychosocial Disabilities and the Joint Statement on Mental

Health and the Scope of Noncommunicable Diseases (2011, two

pages) prepared by the NGO Forum for Health (Geneva) and

the NGO Committee on Mental Health (New York) for the

United Nations General Assembly‘s High-level Meeting on

Noncommunicable Diseases (19-20 September 2011).

Going further: To get a better sense of the global issues and

power structures that influence human health, see the

summary and materials from the 2010 workshop on

Democratizing Global Health Governance, organized by

Global Health Watch and other international organizations.

Niche-Net 8: Personal Stories. Patient Voices is a special

part of the Health section in the online New York Times with

audio and photos or people discussing their experiences with

chronic diseases and mental health conditions. Listen to the

short personal accounts.

Going further: Have a look at the stories from around the

world in the Mental Health-Global Faces section of the

NGO Forum for Health website.

Niche-Net 9: Resources for Practitioners and Consumers.

Psychological First Aid: Guide for Field Workers (2011) is an

international effort to provide helpful principles to help

people support those affected by distressing events. Reading

through the table of contents will give you a good idea of the

approaches used and looking over the three case scenarios at

the end provides a good sense of how psychological first aid

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL * March 2012

EMAIL: INTERNATIONAL@APA.ORG 12

can be applied in natural disasters, violence, displacement,

and accidents. See also the Universal Declaration of Ethical

Principles for Psychologists consisting of four broad principles

and values related to each principle. The four principles are:

respect for the dignity of persons and peoples; competent

caring for the wellbeing of persons and peoples; integrity;

and professional and scientific responsibility to society.

Going further: The National Institute of Mental Health is one

of many organizations offering materials on mental health

for the general public, including their four-minute video on

major depression (symptoms, help, neuroscience research).

Other examples based in the USA are Athealth, National

Empowerment Center, and National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Niche-Net 10: Media Matters. Madness Radio has over 125

archived radio programs online for free. The programs are

diverse both in the subject matter and the perspectives shared

on mental health. One example: Listen to the personal story

and comments by Dr. Daniel Fischer, a psychiatrist who

recovered from schizophrenia and has helped to develop the

consumer survivor movement (aired 1 August 2011).

Going further: To explore the broader context for GMH

involvement, watch a promotional video for the International

Day of Peace on the homepage for APA‘s Division of Peace

Psychology as well as the United Nations Year in Review

from the United Nations News and Media Department.

STAYING THE COURSE IN GMH

I want to encourage all of us in the various health fields to

take the time to explore the GMH domain. A great way to do

this is by reviewing the materials in this short article to identify

niches—relevant areas of focus—and networks—supportive

groups of colleagues—for going further into GMH. GMH

involvement is not always easy. Persevere as you seek to

connect and contribute, knowing that GMH involvement is

part of a lifelong journey that many mental health

professionals around the world are undertaking together.

Seek to integrate GMH materials into: training curriculum,

coursework, and research at academic institutions2; topical

themes, presentations, and interest groups at conferences;

your areas of professional practice; and above all, as part of a

lifestyle that reflects commitments to equality, justice, and

wellbeing for all. Ultimately GMH is not about our own

fulfilment but about the fulfilment of others. It is about

resolutely rallying on behalf of vulnerable people and

populations around the world such as the estimated 450

million people currently struggling with MNS conditions,

often exacerbated by stigma and discrimination, poverty and

despair, and inadequate resources to help. Through it all,

diligently maintain your work-life balance as you stay the

course in GMH. Celebrate life in spite of its hardships.

Climb, don‘t stiffen on the plain! Ψ

NOTES:

1. This article is part of a collaborative project to research,

organize, and share important GMH resources. The project

includes articles, presentations at conferences and courses,

and a website (GMH-Map: sites.google.com/site/gmhmap).

The principle article for the project is currently submitted for

publication and is to be posted on the website. It extensively

highlights materials from the last two decades of GMH

developments via a ―resource map,‖ organizing the materials into

six categories: organizations, conferences/events, publications,

training, human rights, and the humanitarian sector.

2. Many people with GMH interests are clustered at schools/

departments of public health, international health, or medicine at

particular universities (e.g., U.S. examples: Johns Hopkins

University, Bloomberg School of Public Health; Columbia

University Mailman School of Public Health; Harvard Social

Medicine Department and the School of Public Health; and the

Global Health Institute at Duke University). Currently health

professionals and graduate students usually need to connect with

such academic-relational clusters having a strong global

emphasis, especially in mental health, as a key way to pursue

more training, research, and future career opportunities in GMH.

I strongly believe that the academic-professional psychological

community must also intentionally offer GMH training.

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL * March 2012

World Health Organization (WHO) Resolution on “Global burden of mental disorders and the need for a

comprehensive, coordinated response from health and social sectors at the country level” - January 20, 2012

The Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO) recently approved a historic resolution to be presented at

the May 2012 WHO World Health Assembly. The resolution urges member states to develop policies and strategies to

address the promotion of mental health, prevention of mental disorders, and early identification, care, support, treatment,

and recovery. It also asks governments to promote human rights, tackle stigma, address poverty and homelessness, tackle

major modifiable risks, create opportunities for generating income, and provide housing, education and healthcare service.

According to WHO, mental disorders account for 13% of the global burden of diseases. To view the full Resolution, please

visit apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/EB130/B130_R8-en.pdf.

EMAIL: INTERNATIONAL@APA.ORG 13

(A regular column discussing developments at the United Nations)

How Might Psychologists

Commemorate United Nations’

International Volunteer Day?

By Juneau Gary and Neal S. Rubin,

Column Co-Editors

―We must harness volunteer spirit in service of [our] planet.‖

This profound statement was made by United Nations (UN)

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at a UN-sponsored

conference in September 2011 (Harness volunteer spirit, 2011).

His comments are consistent with the mission of the office of

United Nations Volunteers (UNV), a UN organization that

promotes peace and development by advocating for global

volunteerism. UNV‘s website asserts that ―volunteerism is a

powerful means of engaging people in tackling development

challenges, and it can transform the pace and nature of

development…. UNV embraces volunteerism as universal and

inclusive, and recognizes volunteerism in its diversity, as well

as the values that sustain it: free will, commitment,

engagement and solidarity‖ (UN volunteers, n.d.).

In 1985, the UN General Assembly (Resolution A/

RES/40/212) adopted December 5th as its annual

International Volunteer Day (IVD). This celebration is

designed to (1) heighten awareness about the important

contributions of volunteers, (2) promote their safety in

dangerous locales, and (3) encourage people to offer their

services as volunteers. Researchers in the UN Volunteers

Office report that approximately 140 million volunteers

operate around the world in 130 countries and would

comprise the 9th largest country in the world, if aggregated

(Volunteering matters, n.d.; UN volunteers, n.d.).

Many UNV projects use a partner-based initiative model,

involving government agencies, volunteer organizations, the

UN system, the business/private sector, foundations,

sporting teams, academic institutions, faith-based

organizations, media outlets, non-profit organizations,

community groups, and celebrities. UNICEF Goodwill

ambassadors such as Angelina Jolie, Danny Glover, Roger

Moore, and Serena Williams, lend their celebrity status to

highlight various plights in some of the world‘s poorest

countries. They travel to refugee camps, hospitals, and

orphanages, among other places, and meet with refugee and

political asylum families, child soldiers, orphans, and victims

of rape, as well as support local rescue worker volunteers.

Psychologist Volunteers: Local and International Projects

Psychologists have a long tradition of volunteerism. Our

colleagues have extended the impact of psychology beyond

the classroom, laboratory, private practice, and clinic

through pro bono activities. In this way, psychologists have

impacted local, national, and international settings in

demonstration of our profession‘s commitment to social

responsibility. Our Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct state,

―Psychologists strive to contribute a portion of their

professional time for little or no compensation or personal

advantage‖ for Principle B (Fidelity and Responsibility)

(APA Ethical Principles, 2010).

Leaders in the field of international psychology, supported by

the ethics of our profession, emphasize that our ethical

principles are applicable in all settings. As a result,

psychologists have become increasingly involved in

responding to emergencies nationally and globally. New

guidelines have been crafted outlining ethical principles and

expectations for competence in traditional and non-

traditional settings. These documents provide additional

specificity to APA‘s Ethical Principles. For example, following

numerous reports of problems in the field as psychologists

engaged in unfamiliar settings and cultures around the world,

the Inter-Agency Standing Committee‘s (IASC) Guidelines on

Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings

(IASC, 2007) address expectations and ethical conduct for

psychologists volunteering in national and international

settings. APA supports IASC’s Guidelines and has published

guidance for the roles and responsibilities psychologists might

perform in national and international settings (APA, 2008).

An additional contribution endorsed by international

psychology bodies is the Universal Declaration of Ethics

Principles for Psychologists (Universal Declaration, 2008), first

adopted at the International Congress in Berlin, Germany.

This document outlines principles for the ethical expectations

of psychologists worldwide with a view to the development of

complementary regional and national codes of conduct.

International psychologists who volunteer their services are

often connected to projects that respond to conditions such

as the following:

Disasters. Projects involving psychologists increase

residents‘ resiliency to war/local conflict and weather-

related disasters through crisis intervention programs, the

teaching of coping skills, and train the trainer programs.

Illiteracy. Projects involving psychologists in primary and

secondary schools empower children to break the illiteracy

-early child bearing cycle that tends to perpetuate poverty.

Health care. Projects involving psychologists reduce the

psychosocial impact of malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, and

other health-related conditions.

Poverty reduction. Projects involving psychologists improve

residents‘ self-esteem and self-sufficiency through

initiatives such as economic development and literacy.

UN MATTERS

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL * March 2012

EMAIL: INTERNATIONAL@APA.ORG 14

Therefore, in keeping with psychology‘s expectations of social

responsibility, we ask, how might psychologists broaden an

awareness of opportunities for international and global

volunteerism that has the ―power to change lives, build social

cohesion, enhance civic participation, mitigate conflict and

contribute to a society‘s well-being‖ (Volunteering Matters,

n.d.)? Volunteer activities might be completed state-side or

abroad. We offer 12 concrete suggestions:

1) Review UNV‘s website for volunteer openings

worldwide. In addition to UNV‘s opportunities, other

volunteer organizations seek the volunteer services of

psychologists (e.g., Red Cross/Red Crescent, Peace

Corps, SalusWorld, Health Volunteers Overseas).

2) Financially support a school in the developing world. A

village may need a new school, expansion of an existing

school, and/or educational supplies. Advocate for

gender equity in its enrollment.

3) Volunteer for and financially support organizations

working to stop human trafficking.

4) Financially support UN organizations, such as

UNICEF. For instance, proceeds from the sale of gifts

and cards support UNICEF‘s global programs, which

improve the lives of vulnerable children.

5) If licensed and properly trained, offer pro bono services or

a sliding scale fee to refugee families, political asylum

families, or victims of trafficking residing in the U.S., in

order to facilitate their psychosocial adjustment.

Encourage members of your state or county psychological

association to do the same.

6) Spend time in a developing country and teach requisite

skills to improve students‘ chances of competing in a

global economy.

7) In retirement, seek a short term or long term volunteer

project abroad.

8) Volunteer to become an online tutor or mentor for at-risk

children. The geographic locations of either party are

irrelevant in cyberspace.

9) Encourage undergraduate and graduate students to

volunteer their skills through structured service programs.

10) Donate and/or coordinate the donation of used

psychology textbooks and journals to high schools and

institutions of higher education in developing countries.

11) Look at APA‘s Division 52 (International Psychology)

newsletter for short term and long term volunteer and

employment opportunities abroad, and

12) If you live in the greater New York City area, apply for a

position on APA‘s UN Team as a psychologist or as a

graduate psychology student-intern (APA at the United

Nations, n.d.).

We ask you to embrace the spirit of international

volunteerism. Angelique Kidjo is a Grammy Award winner

who has been called ―Africa‘s Diva‖ by TIME Magazine.

She fled Benin, West Africa due to her political views and

today, is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. She speaks

from experience when she says, ―People might not remember

your name as a volunteer, but they will remember how you

have helped them to take the lead in their own

life‖ (Volunteering matters, n.d.). Ψ

ABOUT THE CO-EDITORS

Juneau Gary, Psy.D. (main representative) is Professor in the

Department of Counselor Education at Kean University in New

Jersey and Neal S. Rubin, PhD., ABPP (representative) is Professor

at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology of Argosy University

in Chicago. Both are members of the APA UN team of

representatives, are associated with the UN Department of Public

Information, and are co-editors of this column.

REFERENCES

American Psychological Association. (n.d.). APA at the

United Nations. Retrieved from www.apa.org/

international/united-nations/index.aspx.

American Psychological Association. (2008). APA Statement

on the Role of Psychologists in International Emergencies.

Retrieved from www.apa.org/international/resources/

emergency-statement.aspx.

American Psychological Association. (2010). Ethical

Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. Retrieved

from www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx.

Inter-Agency Standing Committee. (2007). Guidelines on

Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings.

Retrieved from www.humanitarianinfo.org/iasc/

pageloader.aspx?page=content-products-

products&bodyid=5&publish=0.

International Union of Psychological Science. (2008). Universal Declaration of Ethical Principles for Psychologists.

Retrieved from www.am.org/iupsys/resources/ethics/

univdecl2008.html.

United Nations. (1985). Resolution A/RES/40/212, General

Assembly, Fortieth Session. Retrieved from http://daccess-

dds-ny.un.org/doc/RESOLUTION/GEN/

NR0/479/19/IMG/NR047919.pdf?OpenElement.

United Nations. (n.d.). UN Volunteers. Retrieved from

www.un.org/wcm/content/site/sport/home/unplayers/

fundsprogrammesagencies/unv.

United Nations. (n.d.). Volunteering Matters. Retrieved from

http://volunteeringmatters.unv.org/.

United Nations. (2011). We Must Harness Volunteer Spirit in

Service of Planet. Retrieved from www.un.org/News/

Press/docs/2011/ngo731.doc.htm.

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL * March 2012

EMAIL: INTERNATIONAL@APA.ORG 15

The Division of International Psychology: Blending Tradition with Innovation By Neal S. Rubin, PhD, ABPP, Division 52 President

This year is the fifteenth anniversary of Division 52, and 2012 promises to be an exciting

year. We will celebrate our anniversary by honoring those who have contributed so much to

our success. At the same time, we will forge innovations intended to keep us a vibrant,

cutting edge division. Our goal is to bring together those who have contributed to our

founding and ongoing accomplishments with our dynamic students and early careerists who

exhibit such exciting promise for the future of our division.

We value the dedication of those who originally brought international psychology to the

APA. Ray Fowler, former CEO of APA, was one of the Division‘s founders. Since then,

four former APA Presidents—Norman Abeles, Florence Denmark, Frank Farley, and

Charles Spielberger—have also served as presidents of Division 52. Led by our Long Range

Planning Committee Chairs, Senel Poyrazli and Wade Pickren, we plan to invite all of our

former presidents to our hospitality suite this summer where we will host a strategic planning meeting with them. Not only

will our current leadership benefit from the wisdom of such an impressive group, but these former presidents will also serve as

role models for our students, members and international affiliates.

Our Heritage Mentoring Project has similar aims. In this initiative senior division, members, students and early careerists work

together to publish biographies of the luminaries in our field. These articles have begun to appear in the International Psychology

Bulletin (IPB). Our concept is that the student or early careerist will serve as primary author, and the senior member will serve as

a co-author and mentor in the research and publication process. We are optimistic that the experience will be mutually satisfying

and will promote engagement and connections among our members. We also hope that the experience will provide momentum

for the career trajectories of our members who are launching their careers. Of course, the intention is also to provide wider

appreciation for the subjects of these biographies—international psychology scholars who have too often received scant intention

in the USA. Chalmer Thompson is doing a fabulous job coordinating this project. Watch for this continuing series in the IPB.

Additional innovations intended to integrate members are reflected in recent structural changes in Division 52. Students and

early careerists are now each represented by a voting member on our Board of Directors, and one of our ECP‘s, Ayse Ciftci,

serves on our Executive Committee. We are currently reorganizing our committees with an expectation that students and

early careerists will be represented on each committee. A particularly exciting development is that we will be giving our

inaugural Outstanding International Psychology Early Career Award along with our yearly Student Research Awards in

Orlando this summer. Overall, our more experienced members are creating new opportunities for our younger members to

find meaningful engagement in the division.

We are also reaching out to new colleagues around the nation and the world. This year we will be launching our new division

journal, International Perspectives in Psychology: Research, Practice, Consultation. The editor, Judith Gibbons, has assembled an

impressive editorial board representing psychologists throughout the globe and welcomes submissions from international

authors, including those whose work does not ordinarily appear in APA journals. Division 52 will be sponsoring and actively

participating in international psychology programs at regional meetings of the Eastern Psychological Association (Pittsburgh,

March 2012, coordinated by Harold Takooshian) and the

Western Psychological Association (San Francisco, April

2012, coordinated by Lynette Bikos). Our midwinter board

meeting will be held in Las Vegas (February 2012) in

conjunction with the Society for Cross Cultural Research

(SCCR), the Society for Anthropological Science (SASCI),

the American Anthropological Association‘s Children and

Childhood Interest Group (AAACIG), and APA Division

48 (Peace Psychology). Last, the Division will be well

represented at the 30th International Congress of Psychology

(ICP) in Cape Town, South Africa (July 2012). As you can

see, Division 52 will be a fertile place for engagement and

innovation in 2012 and will continue to bring vibrant

international perspectives to the science of psychology. Ψ

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL * March 2012

ROMEO

The Committee on International Affairs in Psychology is

developing a database of international psychology

experts. The ROMEO database (Roster of APA

Members with Expertise Outside the U.S.) lists

psychologists with expertise in substantive areas and

expertise working outside the U.S. To nominate or self-

nominate for this resource, please see www.apa.org/

international/governance/cirp/experts.

EMAIL: INTERNATIONAL@APA.ORG 16

Foundations of Chinese Psychology: Confucian Social Relations By Kwang-Kuo Hwang

―Professor Hwang, a Taiwanese-born psychologists, trained in graduate school at the University of

Hawaii in social and cultural psychology, began to explore the thoughts and writings of the ancient

venerated Chinese sage, Confucius (551 BCE—479 BCE), with special attention to the role of Confucian

ideas in shaping Chinese psychology across the ages. Professor Hwang‘s studies revealed the profound

impact of Confucian thought for understanding Chinese psychology and behavior, even within the brief

period of Communist and Maoist political domination. In a series of publications that now have

important historical implications for psychology, Professor Hwang documented the relationship between

Chinese psychology and behavior and Confucian thought, especially the critical role of relationism.

Professor Hwang noted that Confucian thought places heavy emphasis on morality, context, and the

nature of interpersonal relations. This recognition became the foundation for much of Professor Hwang‘s

subsequent writings—writings that now find their first collected presentation in the West through this

compendium of his thought.‖ ~ from the Foreword by Anthony Marsella, PhD, and Wade Pickren, PhD

Internationalizing the Psychology Curriculum in the United States Edited by Frederick T.L. Leong, Wade E. Pickren, Mark M. Leach, & Anthony J. Marsella

―Not long ago, psychology held that its Western-based tenets were universal truths applicable

throughout the world. From this early naïve assumption, the discipline has evolved to realize the need

for cross-cultural competence in both practice and research. Today, commitment to professional ethics

and scientific advancement is driving the adaptation of theories, models, and therapies to create a more

inclusive psychology for the age of globalization. Internationalizing the Psychology Curriculum in the United

States responds to this challenge by setting out clear guidelines for educating and training new

generations of culturally attuned practitioners and scholars. Addressing graduate course needs in a

wide range of specialties, contributors explore the impact of sociopolitical and other local forces on the

individual, and how this in turn can be used in more culturally sensitive and authentic practice. The

book includes an overview of the evolution of psychology from ethnocentric bias to international

worldview, and makes content-rich recommendations for modifying course design and objectives.‖ ~ excerpt from the Springer website

War Trauma and Its Aftermath: An International Perspective on the Balkan and Gulf Wars By Laurence Armand French & Lidija Nikolic-Novakovic

―War trauma has long been associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a term coined in 1980

to explain the post-war impact of Vietnam veterans. The Gulf and Balkan wars added new dimensions to

the traditional PTSD definition, due largely to the changing dynamics of these wars. With these wars

came unprecedented use of reserve and National Guard personnel in U.S. forces along with the largest

contingent of female military personnel to date. Rapid deployment, sexual assaults, and suicides surfaced

as paramount untreated problems within coalition force. Rapes, torture, suicides, and a high prevalence

of untreated civilian victims of the Balkan wars added to the new dimensions of the traumatic stress

continuum. Suicide bombers and roadside bombings added to the definition of combat stress, as military

personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan were forced to be constantly vigilant for these attacks—regardless of

whether they served in combat areas.‖ ~Laurence Armand French is a sociologist, criminologist, and

psychologist. He has worked with traumatic stress clients for over forty years. Previously, he served in the U.S. Marine

Corps from 1959-65. Lidija Nikolic-Novakovic speaks both English and Serbian fluently. She lived in Vojvodina with

her family during the NATO air attacks from March to June of 1999.‖ Ψ

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL * March 2012

RECENTLY PUBLISHED

EMAIL: INTERNATIONAL@APA.ORG 17

International Book Review: Selected Review from PsycCRITIQUES

The book review reprinted here is courtesy of PsycCRITIQUES editor Danny Wedding. PsycCRITIQUES is an online journal that provides

reviews of books, monographs, films, and other productions in psychology stretching back to 1956. Readers can also access selected reviews and

discuss books important to the science and profession of psychology by visiting the PsycCRITIQUES blog at psyccritiquesblog.apa.org. For more

information see www.apa.org/psyccritiques. If you are interested in reviewing, please contact editor Danny Wedding at dwedding@alliant.edu.

Reviewed by Harry A. Whitaker

Ludwig Zamenhof, the polyglot creator of Esperanto, evidently believed that strong cultural and linguistic identities, what we

would call nationalism, were a source of both personal and social unhappiness. Victor Ginsburgh and Shlomo Weber, authors

of How Many Languages Do We Need? The Economics of Linguistic Diversity, argue that the corollaries to such identities are multiple

languages and cultures interacting in the global economy, to the economic detriment of all. The evidence supports their claim.

Within a country, Ginsburgh and Weber argue, ―extensive use of various languages and excessive multilingualism restrict the

ability of citizens to communicate with each other and dilute the sense of national unity and identity‖ (p. 26). Familiar

examples are cited—India, Ghana, Nigeria—to which one might consider adding the United States.

One solution is to impose an official language or languages on a multicultural society, raising the political and economic

issue—standardization versus disenfranchisement. The authors ask whether linguistic standardization, for example, the

imposition of one or a few languages on a linguistically diverse population, leads to stability; the more permissive

nonstandardization clearly leads to linguistic and cultural diversity but may lead to economic disenfranchisement. Considering

the late 20th-century history of Quebec or the more recent history of Sri Lanka might give one pause ere supporting

monolingual standardization; however, taking account of all the economic factors discussed in How Many Languages Do We

Need? one would likely come down on the side of standardization, as do Ginsburgh and Weber.

Is it the case that linguistic rights (freedom to function in one‘s native language and participate in one‘s native culture)

counterbalance economic prosperity such that the more a government supports such human rights, the less economic prosperity

will ensue? The answer seems to be yes, if one accepts the data and arguments in How Many Languages Do We Need?

Although this book focuses on economic outcomes, Ginsburgh and Weber do take economic theory to a personal level in the

discussion of the costs of learning a second (or third) language. The basic economic principle is this: Benefits to an individual

increase in proportion to the number of other individuals with whom he or she can talk (share a language). Such benefits are

weighed against costs; for example, how hard it is to learn the other language.

Other factors play a role, for example, my willingness to learn your language declines proportionately to your willingness to

learn mine. Distance is a key concept, both geographically, which influences emigration and immigration, and linguistically,

which influences ease of second language acquisition (learnability) according to shared language structures. Clearly, extrinsic

motivation plays a larger role in How Many Languages Do We Need? than does intrinsic motivation, seen in particular when

different languages come in contact. Creole languages are mentioned early in How Many Languages Do We Need?, but a more

extended discussion is warranted.

The Perils of Polyglottism

A review of

How Many Languages Do We Need? The Economics of Linguistic Diversity

By Victor Ginsburgh and Shlomo Weber

Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2011. 232 pp.

ISBN 978-0-691-13689-9. $35.00

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL * March 2012

EMAIL: INTERNATIONAL@APA.ORG 18

If the members of one economic group are unable to communicate with the members of another economic group and there is

an impetus to trade, there may be deleterious economic consequences. We have known for a very long time that one of the

strategies used by societies to deal with this situation is the evolution of a pidgin language, which later may evolve into

a creole language, which in turn may become a standard language. In the context of pidginization and creolization, learnability

is not the key factor because the structures of all languages involved in such social contact are simplified, reducing the costs of

learning a pidgin or creole language for each individual.

Globally, linguistic diversity is remarkable, notwithstanding the quasi lingua franca status of English. The Ethnologue:

Languages of the World website (www.ethnologue.com) provides a table of the distribution of languages by area of origin as of

the year 2009 (www.ethnologue.com/ethno_docs/distribution.asp?by=area), which I summarize here.

1.Africa: 2,110 languages, 30.5 percent of all languages;

2.Americas: 993 languages, 14.4 percent of all languages;

3.Asia: 2,322 languages, 33.6 percent of all languages;

4.Europe: 234 languages, 3.4 percent of all languages;

5.Pacific: 1,250 languages, 18.1 percent of all languages.

Several interesting discussions supplement the primary focus of How Many Languages Do We Need? For example, the number of

books translated into or from a particular language give some indication of the dominance of that language in multilingual

communities. It may surprise some readers to learn that, as dominant as English is in the European Union (EU),

proportionately to the population more books are translated from Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, and French than from

English. On the lighter side, as an example of a traditional EU-wide social–commercial function, the EuroVision song contest

is evidently conducted primarily in English with some French. A recent winner of the contest hailed from Ukraine.

Although the analysis at population levels is persuasive, more details in particular cases would likely have increased interest in

the major themes. For example, consider the situation in Canada. French is not simply the majority language of Quebec and

the second, minority language of the rest of Canada. There are two major dialectal versions of French in Quebec, standard

and joual, each of which differs dramatically in intelligibility to other native speakers of French, for example, people from

Haiti, Morocco, Algeria, or France. An analysis of the economic consequences to speakers of joual in Québec would likely

contribute interesting data to Ginsburgh and Weber‘s thesis.

After World War II, measuring diversity became popular in many fields, including psychology. From the mid-1950s, Joseph

Greenberg‘s research on linguistic diversity became well known and furnished some of the data for this book. Some of the

facts are interesting in and of themselves, regardless of the economic consequences. For example, Papua New Guinea records

830 different languages, whereas it is stated that North Korea is monolingual. I have doubts about the latter claim, considering

the reasonable expectation that there was Chinese immigration during and after the Korean War.

Linguistic and economic diversity issues in the EU are the focus of much of How Many Languages Do We Need? The EU is

clearly diverse: There are currently 27 countries in which 234 languages are spoken; on the other hand, there are 23 officially

recognized languages. Applying their economic equations—balancing costs against disenfranchisement—led Ginsburgh and

Weber to solve the linguistic diversity issues of the EU with a six-language solution: English, French, German, Italian,

Spanish, and Polish.

One may wonder why Polish is part of the solution. As explained by Ginsburgh and Weber, it is a combination of calculating

the costs of the 23 language solutions currently extant in the EU against varying degrees of linguistic disenfranchisement for a

nested core of two to 11 proposed language solutions. Should Turkey be added to the EU, as is currently under discussion, it

is likely that a different language solution would make economic sense; the tools for arriving at that solution are available in

this very interesting book. Ψ

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL * March 2012

July 22-27, 2012

Cape Town, South Africa

www.icp2012.com

ANNOUNCEMENTS

EMAIL: INTERNATIONAL@APA.ORG 19

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS:

2012-2013 United Nations Graduate Student Interns

APA is now accepting applications for psychology graduate student interns to work with APA‘s NGO at the United Nations.

Interns work as volunteers with the APA UN team to help implement the Team‘s mission of promoting psychology as a

science and profession that is relevant to the UN‘s global agenda. Applicants must be available at least each Thursday during

the period of September 2012—June 2013 and live in or close to New York City to attend meetings at UN headquarters. For

more information and how to apply, please visit www.apa.org/international/united-nations/student-intern.pdf. Deadline for

applications is April 1, 2012.

APA Convention Travel Supplements for International Attendees

The APA Office of International Affairs invites applications for the APA Convention Travel Supplement for International

Psychologists and Psychology Students (www.apa.org/about/awards/convention-international-travel.aspx). The Grant will

provide up to $400 for registration or travel expenses. Eligible applicants are psychologists and psychology students living

outside the U.S. and Canada. Preference will be given to those applicants who: are from a low-income country; have

submitted a conference presentation; are an APA International Affiliate, Member, or APAGS member; have not attended the

APA Convention in the last two years. Deadline for the program is June 1, 2012.

APA Convention Travel Awards for Early Career Professionals

The Committee on Early Career Psychologists (ECPs) is pleased to announce the travel award program for early career

members from all areas of psychology to attend the 2012 APA Convention in Orlando, Florida, August 2-5. Twenty award

recipients will receive $750 to be applied toward their 2012 APA convention expenses. All early career APA members (within

seven years receipt of their doctorate) are encouraged to apply. Preference will be given to first-time attendees, those whose

primary work is in basic psychological science, or those who will be presenting. International attendees are eligible for this

award. For more information, visit www.apa.org/about/awards/early-career-convention.aspx. Deadline for submission is

March 23, 2012 at midnight (EST).

Editor, IUPsyS Journal: International Journal of Psychology

The International Union of Psychological Science (IUPsyS) announced a search for a new Editor of the International Journal of

Psychology (IJP) for a 4-year term (2014-2017) with options for renewal. IUPsyS seeks a mid-career or senior scholar to further

develop the IJP. The Editor will work with an editorial team and editorial board, and will receive a stipend and funding for

editorial support and office operations. The prospective Editor will have prior journal editorial experience, a publication

record in recognized journals, an interest in international psychology, excellent mastery of English, and a network of

established international connections. Deadline for application is April 15, 2012. Please send (a) a letter expressing your

vision, interest and qualifications, (b) a CV, and (c) four suggested references who can comment on editorial activities to Dr.

Nick Hammond, Executive Officer and IUPsyS Secretariat at nick.hammond@iupsys.org. For questions, please contact Dr.

Bruce Overmier at psyjbo@umn.edu.

Global Health Programs in Summer 2012

The Summer Institute in Global Health comprises a four-week experience where interdisciplinary groups of students are

provided exposure to the impact of globalization on physical and mental health. Participants explore these issues first through

didactic seminars held on the Bronx campus of Yeshiva University and then during a two-week trip to Hyderabad. For more

information, see einstein.yu.edu/centers/public-health-sciences/summerinstitute.aspx. Deadline for application is April 1, 2012.

The Global Health Certificate Program focuses on social and behavioral determinants of health with an emphasis on health

inequities and the challenge of addressing health issues in resource poor settings. For more information, see einstein.yu.edu/

centers/public-health-sciences/global_health_certificate.aspx?id=30366. Deadline for application is April 1, 2012.

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL * March 2012

EMAIL: INTERNATIONAL@APA.ORG 20

Fellowship Opportunity: U.S. Embassy Policy Specialist Program

The U.S. Embassy Specialist Program provides funding for U.S. scholars and professionals to travel to Eurasia and serve U.S.

Embassies or USAID Missions as policy specialists on a research topic proposed by the Embassy/Mission. 2012-13

applicants may apply for placements in the following countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz

Republic, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine. Application materials can be found at www.irex.org/application/us-

embassy-policy-specialist-program-eps-application. Deadline for application is March 14, 2012.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS:

International Journal of Arts and Humanities The International Journal of Arts and Humanities (IJAH) is currently accepting manuscripts for publication. IJAH publishes

solicited and unsolicited articles in English, in all areas pertaining to psychology and counseling, policy studies, history and

culture, media and communication, African studies and development, Asian studies and development, language and culture,

the Middle East, the European Union, and more. Information is available at www.onlineresearchjournals.org/IJAH .

Prospective authors should send manuscript(s) to ijah.onlineresearch@gmail.com, submit.ijah_orj@gmail.com, or

submit.ijah@onlineresearchjournals.org. IJAH is also seeking qualified reviewers as members of the editorial board. Interested

reviewers and editors should send their detailed CVs to one of the above email addresses.

International Journal of Education Research The International Journal of Education Research (IJER) is currently accepting manuscripts for publication. IJER publishes solicited

and unsolicited articles in English, in all areas of education, educational administration, psychology and counseling, policy

studies, vocational studies, technical education, and more. Information is available at www.onlineresearchjournals.org/IJER.

Prospective authors should send manuscript(s) to submit.jaer@onlineresearchjournals.org, jaer.onlineresearch@gmail.com, or

submit.jaer@gmail.com. Interested reviewers and editors should send their detailed CVs to one of the above email addresses.

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Psychological First Aid: Guide for Field Workers

The World Health Organization (WHO) published a 2011 guide about psychological first aid—the provision of humane and

practical support to those who are suffering serious crisis events. This guide covers both social and psychological support and

provides information on supportive things to say and do for distressed people, how to approach a new situation safely for

yourself and others, and how to avoid causing harm by your actions. The information was developed for use in low and

middle income countries, and the information will need to be adapted to the local context and culture. For the full guide,

please visit http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2011/9789241548205_eng.pdf.

Mental Health Atlas 2011

The World Health Organization (WHO) Mental Health Atlas 2011 represents the latest estimate of global mental health

resources available to prevent and treat mental disorders and help protect the human rights of people living with these

conditions. It presents data from 184 WHO Member States, covering 98% of the world‘s population. Facts and figures presented

in the Atlas indicate that resources for mental health remain inadequate and in many countries resources are extremely scarce.

These results reinforce the need to scale up resources and care for mental health within countries. To download the full Mental

Health Atlas, please visit www.who.int/mental_health/publications/mental_health_atlas_2011/en/index.html. Ψ

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL * March 2012

Psychology International is a publication of the APA Office of International Affairs.

Please visit www.apa.org/international or email the office at international@apa.org

Merry Bullock, PhD, Senior Director

Sally Leverty, International Affairs Assistant

Dana Townsend, Communications Manager