The International Union of Psychological Science, the global voice of Psychology, is pleased to issue a call for nominations for its prestigious global awards.
Please see the attached flyer.
Further information can be found here
More and more researchers in psychology and related disciplines are eager to learn how to get the best from their data. Although tutorials on statistical analyses are routinely published by specialised journals, they often assume an advanced statistical background and/or rely on abstract examples that may prevent applied researchers from fully engaging with those techniques. As a result, methodological barriers grow among researchers who do not have a strong quantitative background, which, ultimately, may lead them to use suboptimal statistical techniques.
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On April 20-21, 2023, the Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA) Sexuality and Gender Division (SGD), in collaboration with Outright International, convened an initial meeting in Johannesburg to discuss advocacy efforts against conversion practices. This event was entitled, “Meeting of minds: The role of mental health practitioners and Associations in eradicating conversion practices in Africa”.
Conversion practices are defined as any attempts to forcibly suppress or change a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or expression (SOGIE). These harmful practices target LGBTQ+ people (i.e. lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or queer individuals), and undermine their autonomy and self-determination.
These so-called “reparative therapies”, “gay cure”, and “SOGIE change efforts” have no scientific basis and are rejected by psychologists, doctors, and related experts as a gross violation of human rights. All evidence clearly shows that being LGBTQ+ is a regular variation of our human diversity that needs to be affirmed, not changed.
The attendees were mental health practitioners and some lawyers, primarily from South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria, with some representation from Uganda and Cameroon. Our purpose was to create a mutual learning space to share experiences about how best to (1) eradicate conversion practices among mental health providers in Africa, (2) offer affirmative therapy and counselling to survivors of conversion practices, (3) reinforce the evidence that conversion practices are harmful and unscientific.
A key outcome of this gathering was the writing and signing of a historic declaration against conversion practices. We now invite the public to co-sign this declaration (see below), and especially urge other mental health professionals, related experts, researchers, healthcare workers, LGBTQ+ people and survivors of conversion practices, and all allies from Africa and around the world, to support this declaration.
Speakers at the meeting included PsySSA president, Professor Floretta Boonzaier; PsySSA past president, Professor Juan A. Nel, also SGD vice-chair and co-representative on the International Psychology Network for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Issues (IPsyNet); Dr. Ann Watts, member of the International Union of Psychological Science (IUPsyS), Pan-African Psychology Union (PAPU) Treasurer and PsySSA Fellow; and executive members of the SGD, including its chair, Rev Chris McLachlan, Suntosh Pillay, Pierre Brouard, and Nkanyiso Madlala. Additionally, representatives from the Professional Association for Transgender Health South Africa (PATHSA), Dr Sakhile Msweli, and Jenna-Lee Proctor, attended the meeting. Rev McLachlan is also chair of the PATHSA board and a board member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH).
Ugandan civil society activists, such as Dr Adrian Jjuuko, the executive director of the Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum (HRAPF), spoke about the challenges of working in hostile legal and social contexts.
Unfortunately, many Nigerian delegates did not obtain their visas in time to attend the meeting, including Professor Andrew Zamani, president-elect of PAPU. Some joined discussions online.
Participants signed the declaration in their personal capacities, but it is hoped that a wide range of professional organisations will now officially endorse and support the declaration.
The Declaration can be signed here.
Dear colleagues:
It is our pleasure to invite you to attend the next ICP 2024 congress which will take place in Prague July 21-26, 2024. Prague was supposed to host the ICP congress in 2020 but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ICP 2020 congress was moved to the online sphere. We were then delighted that Prague has been chosen again as a host for 2024.
Prague has always been the center of commerce, culture, and knowledge. The earliest known foreign visitor to Prague, Ibrahim ibn Jakub from al-Andalus in 965 noted: “Prague is built from stone and lime and is the largest city of commerce”. Further on, Prague has always been a city which inspired: Frank Kafka wrote his novels here and Wolfgang A. Mozart appreciated: “Prague people understand me.”
The motto of ICP 2024 is “Psychology for Future: Together in Hope”. Psychologists currently face many challenges, both as professionals and citizens. It is the togetherness, combined knowledge and shared experience that makes us all stronger and able to help others.
Therefore, we would like to invite you to Prague for the upcoming ICP 2024 congress. Let us come together again after the long covid break, share our experience of overcoming crises, and jointly strengthen the grounds for hope.
Martina Klicperová – Scientific Committee Chair
Veronika Polišenská – Scientific Committee Vice-Chair
APA and the International Union of Psychological Science invite applications for the APA-IUPsyS Global Mental Health Fellowship with the World Health Organization. The Fellowship provides a unique opportunity for a psychologist to collaborate with World Health Organization staff in the Mental Health Unit of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Use for a period of one year. The fellow will focus on one or more issues related to the WHO Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan, 2013-30, which aims to promote mental well-being, prevent mental disorders, provide care, enhance recovery, promote human rights, and reduce the mortality, morbidity, and disability for persons with mental disorders.
Deadline to apply: 14 April 14 2023.
PsySSA would like to congratulate Chris McLachlan, Sexuality & Gender Division Chairperson, on their appointment to the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) Board (Members-at-Large (4-year terms)).
The Board will be installed on September 20, 2022, at the 27th Scientific Symposium, being held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Chris will be the first voice from the African continent on the WPATH Board!
Chris continues to make our Society Proud and we look forward to seeing what meaningful work Chris will continue to do with the WPATH
We wish Chris all the best on the WPATH Board!
Chris McLachlan is a clinical psychologist working at Thuthuzela Care Centre (Rape crises centre) in KwaZulu-Natal and has a special interest in the fields of Sexually and Gender Diversity and Gender Affirming Healthcare. Chris has completed a Masters degree in Theology, Clinical Psychology and Biblical Studies and is a PhD candidate at UNISA. Chris is the co-chair of the team that developed the first South African Gender Affirming Healthcare Guideline and is part of the core team that developed the Practice Guidelines for Psychology Professionals Working with Sexually and Gender-Diverse People. Chris is one of the South African representatives at iPsyNet.