PAPU Conference: Experts Explore Ways To Address Mental Health
The Pan- African Psychology Union in collaboration with the Nigerian Psychology Association of Nigeria (NPA) brought together Academias, professionals and other stakeholders to brain storm on ways to address socio factors associated with psychological health and ways to strengthen psychology education and professional standards across the continent.
The theme of the conference, “Psychology Education in Africa: Challenges for Cohesion and Development”, organised in collaboration with the Nigerian Psychological Association (NPA) on Thursday in Abuja.
In his remarks, Professor Andrew Zamani, the FCT Chairman, Pan-African Psychology Union, emphasized the need for a program that would enhance cross border mental health services for victims of violence, conflict resolution, peacekeeping, and youth development to meet African needs.
Professor Zamani said that “They were trained here with Euro American models, so when they go abroad, they don’t have problems. The reverse is the case, what we are saying is the diversity and recognition for diversity, now, professionals who have local grooming, that have the understanding of the cultural context and also have the language to deliver services that will meet the needs of the people”.
The keynote speaker and the Secretary General, International Union of Psychologist Science, Dr. Ava Thompson who said young Psychologists have a lot of potential to make a difference in the lives of people stressed the need to align the curriculum of the teaching with current trends to address increasing stress cases.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the conference, Prof Sathastivans Cooper, who is also the founding president of PAPU, and a former president of the Psychological Society of South Africa and also a former president of the International Union of Psychological Science, said the issue of Euro-American education curriculum will be a standing topic until African psychologists achieve a psychology that is relevant to the continent’s needs.
In her keynote address, the Secretary General of the International Union of Psychological Science, Dr. Ava Thompson, said the conference critical for the development of African Psychology Education and Training (PET).
“African PET and African psychology will in turn have a significant impact on the future of global psychological science. Specifically, it will affect our capacity to transform PET and realise the vision of a global psychology that reflects the multiplicity of psychologies and serve all of humanity as we co-create our shared future,” she said.
The conference has more than 300 delegates from Africa and beyonds including university heads, regulatory agencies, academias, scholars and students from differenct universities graced the occassion.
