Psychology International

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
C ON TEN T S
Psychology in Egypt: Challenges and Hopes

By Wael M.Y. Mohamed, MD, PhD, Menoufiya University, Egypt
COVER:
Psychology in 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.
Meet CIRP 2012.................... 4
Senior Directors 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: APAs
International Division.......... 15
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 altabib 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
Recently Published.............. 16
Selected Review from
PsycCRITIQUES.................... 17
ANNOUNCEMENTS ........... 19
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

Ibn-Sina (Avicenna), Ibn-Roshd, Ibn-al-Heitham and IbnKhaldoun (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.
A photograph of Cairo University taken in 1945 (formerly known

as Egyptian University and later Fouad University)
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. Piron and H.
Dlacroix (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:
EMAIL: INTERNATIONAL@APA.ORG
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, AfricanAmerican, 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.

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 lowlevel 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.
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.
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.
Dr. Wael Mohamed
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. 127150). 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.
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
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.
Introducing the 2012 APA

Committee on International
Relations in Psychology!
APAs 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 APAs 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 CoChair 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.
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
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
Virginia Kwan, PhD

Arizona State University
Focus: social & personality psychology; socialperception processes; diversity and multicultural
identity dynamics; cultural priming; judgment &
decision making
Chandra MN Mehrotra, PhD

College of St. Scholastica
Focus: gerontology; aging and diversity; statistics,
research methodology, psychological measurement,
and program evaluation
Bonnie K. Nastasi, PhD

Tulane University
Focus: school psychology; culturally appropriate
health promotion and health risk prevention
programming for child, adolescent, and adult
populations
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
Chris E. Stout, PsyD

Center for Global Initiatives
Focus: clinical psychology; global psychology and
healthcare, complex systems, and overcoming
mediocrity
SENIOR DIRECTORS COLUMN

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 meetat
conferences, congresses, small working meetingsand 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 writers 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 IberoAmerican 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 metaanalysis. 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 Worldhttp://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!
SAVE THE DATE!

Fifth Annual Psychology Day at the United Nations
Thursday, April 19, 2012
12:30 PM4:30 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!
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:
MENTORS:
EARLY-CAREER PSYCHOLOGISTS:
GRADUATE STUDENTS:
Michael Beran, PhD

(Georgia State University)
Dana Basnight-Brown, PhD

(University of Albany, SUNY)
Wendy Baccus
(George Mason University)
Arpana Inman, PhD

(Lehigh University)
Vivian Dzokoto, PhD

(Virginia Commonwealth University)
Bonnie Brett
(University of Maryland)
Bruce Overmier, PhD

(University of Minnesota)
Kelly Liao, PhD

(University of Missouri-St. Louis)
Max E. Butterfield
(Texas Christian University)
Nan Sussman, PhD

(College of Staten Island, CUNY)
Bonnie M. Perdue, PhD

(Georgia State)
Eva Dundas
(Carnegie Mellon University)
Janet Swim, PhD

(Pennsylvania State University)
Carlos Santos, PhD

(Arizona State University)
Juliana Schroeder
(University of Chicago)
Patrick Tolan, PhD

(University of Virginia)
Michael F. Steger, PhD

(College of Natural Sciences, Colorado)
Jonathan Stange
(Temple University)
Jeffrey Zacks, PhD

(Washington University)
Rebecca White, PhD

(University of Chicago)
Gui Xue, PhD (UCLA)
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 years 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 womens empowerment
worldwide. For more details on this years CSW, please visit www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/56sess.htm.
From left: Jennifer Weber, Maame YelbertObeng, 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
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 Canterburys
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 Zealands 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 peoples 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.
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 OConnor, President, New Zealand Psychological
Professor Ian M. Evans, Massey University, Wellington
International Presidents Initiative at the 2012 APA Convention!

APAs 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 psychologys 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 Conventions opening ceremony and participate in APAs special Convention events.
PSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION
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).
Students from the psychopharmacology program

during a Gross Anatomy of the Brain lecture
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.
Students dissecting a sheep brain
The New Mexico State University Interdisciplinary Masters 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.
GLOBAL HEALTH
A Jefferson Science Fellow in
Global Health
By Robert L Balster, PhD, Virginia
Commonwealth University
Dr. Robert Balster
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 wasnt 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 Departments 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 Kings 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 Administrators 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 Obamas 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
NIHs 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

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.
Global Mental Health: Finding

Your Niches and Networks
By Kelly ODonnell, PsyD
Climb traveler, or stiffen slowly on the plain. ~ Irish proverb

Kelly ODonnell 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 Genevabased NGO Forum for Health (www.ngo-forum
-health.ch). Kellys publications include over
fifty articles in the member care field focusing
on the wellbeing and effectiveness of mission/
Dr. Kelly ODonnell 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
ones 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 resources. 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
10

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
(WHOe.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 WHOs 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 Lancets
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 childrens access to care in low-middle income
countries, and strengthening mental health training for all
health personnel). The Lancets 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 persons 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 Melbournes 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 Assemblys 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
11

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.
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, dont stiffen on the plain!
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 APAs 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
nichesrelevant areas of focusand networkssupportive
groups of colleaguesfor 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 institutions 2; 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
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.
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.
12

(A regular column discussing developments at the United Nations)
UN MATTERS
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. UNVs 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 worlds 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 professions 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 nontraditional settings. These documents provide additional
specificity to APAs 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 Committees (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 IASCs 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 weatherrelated 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.
13

Therefore, in keeping with psychologys 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 societys well-being (Volunteering Matters,
n.d.)? Volunteer activities might be completed state-side or
abroad. We offer 12 concrete suggestions:
1) Review UNVs website for volunteer openings
worldwide. In addition to UNVs 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 UNICEFs 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 APAs 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 APAs 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 Africas 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.).
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-productsproducts&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://daccessdds-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.
14
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 Divisions founders. Since then,
four former APA PresidentsNorman Abeles, Florence Denmark, Frank Farley, and
Charles Spielbergerhave 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 biographiesinternational 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 ECPs, 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
ROMEO
meeting will be held in Las Vegas (February 2012) in
conjunction with the Society for Cross Cultural Research
The Committee on International Affairs in Psychology is
(SCCR), the Society for Anthropological Science (SASCI),
developing a database of international psychology
the American Anthropological Associations Children and
experts.
The ROMEO database (Roster of APA
Childhood Interest Group (AAACIG), and APA Division
Members with Expertise Outside the U.S.) lists
48 (Peace Psychology). Last, the Division will be well
th
psychologists with expertise in substantive areas and
represented at the 30 International Congress of Psychology
expertise working outside the U.S. To nominate or self(ICP) in Cape Town, South Africa (July 2012). As you can
see, Division 52 will be a fertile place for engagement and
nominate for this resource, please see www.apa.org/
innovation in 2012 and will continue to bring vibrant
international/governance/cirp/experts.
international perspectives to the science of psychology.
15
RECENTLY PUBLISHED
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 BCE479 BCE), with special attention to the role of Confucian
ideas in shaping Chinese psychology across the ages. Professor Hwangs 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 Hwangs
subsequent writingswritings 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 nave 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 attacksregardless 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.
16
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.
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
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 citedIndia, Ghana, Nigeriato 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
issuestandardization 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 ones native language and participate in ones 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.
17

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 socialcommercial 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 Qubec would likely
contribute interesting data to Ginsburgh and Webers thesis.
After World War II, measuring diversity became popular in many fields, including psychology. From the mid-1950s, Joseph
Greenbergs 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 equationsbalancing costs against disenfranchisementled 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.
July 22-27, 2012
Cape Town, South Africa
www.icp2012.com
18
ANNOUNCEMENTS
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS:
2012-2013 United Nations Graduate Student Interns
APA is now accepting applications for psychology graduate student interns to work with APAs NGO at the United Nations.
Interns work as volunteers with the APA UN team to help implement the Teams mission of promoting psychology as a
science and profession that is relevant to the UNs global agenda. Applicants must be available at least each Thursday during
the period of September 2012June 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.
19
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/usembassy-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 aidthe 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 worlds 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.
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
20

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

Psychology in Egypt: Challenges and Hopes

In this article, Dr. Mohamed

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

Senior Directors Column:

New Zealand Journal of

Psychology at the UN:

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

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL * March 2012

A photograph of Cairo University taken in 1945 (formerly known

TECHNICAL & PROFESSIONAL CHALLENGES

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL * March 2012

published in selected central areas in psychology. For instance,

Dr. Wael Mohamed

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL * March 2012

Introducing the 2012 APA

Puncky Paul Heppner, PhD, Co-Chair

Tina Q. Richardson, PhD, Co-Chair

Barbara M. Byrne, PhD

Jean Lau Chin, EdD

Virginia Kwan, PhD

Chandra MN Mehrotra, PhD

Bonnie K. Nastasi, PhD

Susan V. Opotow, PhD

Chris E. Stout, PsyD

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL * March 2012

SENIOR DIRECTORS COLUMN

distance, finances, and language. To move beyond these

SAVE THE DATE!

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL * March 2012

2012 APA-USNC Mentoring Program at the

Michael Beran, PhD

Dana Basnight-Brown, PhD

Arpana Inman, PhD

Vivian Dzokoto, PhD

Bruce Overmier, PhD

Kelly Liao, PhD

Nan Sussman, PhD

Bonnie M. Perdue, PhD

Janet Swim, PhD

Carlos Santos, PhD

Patrick Tolan, PhD

Michael F. Steger, PhD

Jeffrey Zacks, PhD

Rebecca White, PhD

Paraellel event speakers: Rucha Chitnis, Liliana

From left: Maame Yelbert-Obeng, Rucha

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL * March 2012

A Special Issue of the New

report on perceptions of risk and willingness to prepare for

International Presidents Initiative at the 2012 APA Convention!

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL * March 2012

Students from the psychopharmacology program

Students dissecting a sheep brain

The New Mexico State University Interdisciplinary Masters Degree in Psychopharmacology

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL * March 2012

Dr. Robert Balster

Robert Balster is a professor of pharmacology

In early December 2010 I had a message on my university

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL * March 2012

Global Mental Health: Finding

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

to health, and equity in health for all.