Day 1 :
Keynote Forum
Susanna Mittermaier
University clinic of Lund, Austria
Keynote: Pragmatic psychology: empowering leaders of the future
Time : 10:00-10:40
Biography:
Susanna Mittermaier is a Psychologist and Author of the international bestselling book, “Pragmatic Psychology: Practical Tools for Being Crazy Happy”. As a Global Speaker, she offers a new paradigm on Psychology and Therapy called Pragmatic Psychology. She is educated in Sweden at the University Clinic of Lund, where she was mentoring the hospital staff, conducted neuropsychological testing and psychotherapy with patients and developed a new approach to psychology.
Abstract:
We often hear that children are the future. Are we doing what we can to empower children or are we doing what we can to make them fit in and be like we have decided they should be? Labeling and diagnosing has become one of the main tasks in psychiatry nowadays. What used to be difference is nowadays labeled as wrongness. What future are we creating with that? Are we embracing diversity or enforcing sameness? What else is possible? What if every wrong could be turned into strength and a resource? What if we celebrated diversity and learning how to use it to create a future that works? It is time for a new pragmatic approach. “Pragmatic” means doing what works. What works is asking for the possibilities in the seemingly impossible. The target with pragmatic psychology is with practical tools to empower clients to access their abilities rather than focusing on their problems. Pragmatic psychology is about what can be created when life is no longer about controlling behavior. Every problem becomes a possibility to change your life. This can results in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients being able to use their hyperactivity as a resource to create their lives; depression and anxiety being discovered as extreme awareness that no longer, being overwhelming and having to be defended against, can be used as source of creation; patients coming for anger management discovering their potency that was covered by their label; post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD ceasing to haunt clients and the potency slumbering all those years behind the victimizing story being accessed; and autism being acknowledged as a highly interactive and communicating group of people.
Keynote Forum
Javier Fiz Perez
European University of Rome, Italy
Keynote: Resilience and psychological development: coping support techniques with the positive psychology approach
Time : 10:40-11:20
Biography:
Javier Fiz Perez is a Psychotherapist and Professor of Psychology at the European University of Rome, where he cooperates also as Delegate for the International Research Development. He is Co-Director of the Laboratory of Applied (Business and Health Lab). He graduated in Philosophy, Psychology and Social Bioethics, with a specialization in Executive Business Administration (EMBA) after the PhD. He’s a Member of the Advisory Board of the Academic Senate of the Accademia Tiberina. He is the Coordinator of the Scientific Committee of The International School of Economics and Ethics (Italy) and collaborates with the International Academy for Social and Economic Development (AISES) of which he has been Vice President for Spain and Latin America. He is also the Scientific Research Director of the European Institute of Positive Psychology at Madrid (IEPP), being also a Member of the Scientific Committee of Jacques Maritain International Institute. He is also a Member of several committees of scientific journals and the Director of the International Network for Social and Integrated Development (INSID). He has more than 150 national and international pubblications.
Abstract:
Stress is no longer a phenomenon that concerns adults exclusively. For this reason, we have decided to include teenage stress in our research. We have been submitting a survey on stress to a group of 671 teenagers with an average age of 16 years and seven months. The survey was focused on two different aspects: stress perception and stress causes. Family support coping questionnaire was also submitted. The main finding of this study is that 38% of the sample defined them as stressed, with no gender related differences. Subjects that consider themselves stressed indicate the causes as lack of time (31%) and excessive commitments (23%). Almost all the subjects say that school (48%), family (21%) and sentimental relationships (8%) are the main sources of stress. From the analysis of the open answers, it is clear that family and school expectations are the greatest sources of stress—even if significantly more so for females than for males. Subjects were asked to assess the level of stressed originated by finishing school and the need of choosing and planning their future. This finding is meaningful when measured up to the percentage of subjects that has stated to have already made the decision of what to do when they finish studying. As it is seen in the graphic (we asked the subjects to state if they had already decided what to do after school) the greatest levels of uncertainty are found in year IV. The intersection of these data does not seem, however, enough to explain levels of stress, as the high percentage of students who have decided should cause a significant reduction of stress in year V. Most likely, stress concerning the post high school choice is the non linear combination of two factors: on one hand, uncertainty regarding the choice, on the other hand, the immediacy of the event. Comparing stress levels amongst subjects that count on strong family support and subjects that count on scant family support there are significant differences. The subjects that count on strong family support seem to register lower average stress levels, regarding their post high school choices. Furthermore, this kind of support seems to reduce stress as the event comes nearer, facilitating the decision-making.
Keynote Forum
Nikolaus Blatter
University of Innsbruck, Austria
Keynote: The effect of the C O M E program for people with mental and/or drug disorders to live a more independent life
Biography:
Nikolaus Blatter Past Professional experience (2002-2015): Psychiatric-hospital Baumgarnter Höhe in Vienna; homeless-shelter in Vorarlberg; Supervisor of a small-care-unit for homeless clients with mental illness and drug diagnoses; Professional experience: Since 2015 he/she is working as Psychologist in the Government of Vorarlberg, Department for Community Psychiatry and Drug help. Working topics: individual case planning, detection from unmet-needs especially the support from severe mental ill clients in various treatment-sectors (homeless, community psychiatry, drug…); participation in the creation of the Vorarlberger psychiatric- report. His/her research topics: as a PhD Student since 2016 to evaluate the home-treatment support in the federal state Vorarlberg; Detection of over-, under- and lack of supply in community psychiatry, drug help and adjacent areas (homeless, nursing…)
Abstract:
Since the 1980s the treatment-first paradigm has dominated the support of clients with mental and drug disorders in Austria. The access-threshold for social service was high for the patient, especially for client with pronounced symptoms whose support was difficult. This led to a considerable number of people who are affected by homelessness. As a result they get treated in the homeless treatment sector. In 2014 the policy of Vorarlberg (Austria) implemented the “psychiatry concept 2015-2025” which includes ten projects to improve the support of community psychiatry. “Psychiatric home care service” was one of these projects and started in 2015. The aim of this present long-term study was to evaluate the C O M E program which started in 2016 and included 52 probands. Our hypothesis was that the C O M E program enables clients to live a more independent life including permanent housing, decrease stays in hospital, improve a long-term mental stability and encourage them in the development of alternative assistance for mutual support. Moreover this support program should enable the caregiver in their daily work. The C O M E program is based on the theoretical foundation of housing first and treatment first. The abbreviation stands for: cooperation, observation, mutual-support and evaluation. A crucial part of the data collection is done by the assessment sheet which is scored at least one time a week. The data collection also includes report-data and medical history. Over a time-period of 42 weeks we found that continuous abstinence from drugs and alcohol is an important criterion for a better cooperation between client and caregiver. Abstinence is not a necessary requirement to get a care-giver-support in the C O M E program. Finally, it is necessary to keep the contact, even if the client denies the contact.
- Child and Adolescent Counselling Psychology | Child Mental Health and Psychology | Women Mental Health | Psychiatric Disorders | Adolescent Psychology | Autism and Psychiatric Disorders
Location: Rome, Italy
Chair
Javier Fiz Pérez
European University of Rome, Italy
Co-Chair
Itzia Perez Morales
King’s College London, England
Session Introduction
Hongfei Yang
Zhejiang University, China
Title: The validation of positive and negative rumination scale among school students
Biography:
Hongfei Yang has earned his B.S. at the age of 20 years from Zhejiang University, his M.S. from State University of New York at Oswego, and his Ph.D. from Zhejiang University. He is the director of the Association of School Psychology and Counseling of Zhejiang Province. He has published more than 90 papers in reputed journals and is an supervisor of master degree of counseling psychology at Zhejiang University.
Abstract:
The positive and negative rumination scale was originally developed among college students. In this study, 718 school students (357 male, 359 female, 2 missing) with an average age of 14.3 years (SD = 2.4; range = 9-19 years) were recruited from elementary and high schools in mainland China. They were randomly split into two samples (ns = 361 and 357) for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results from exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the measure’s 5 first-order and 2 second-order factors structure: Positive Rumination consisting of 2 first-order factors (i.e., Enjoy Happiness and Positive Coping) and Negative Rumination consisting of 3 first-order factors (i.e., Suppress Happiness, Self Deny and Negative Attribution). Moreover, correlation analyses provided evidence for the subscales’ differential validity: Positive Rumination showed positive correlations with positive indicators of psychological adjustment (e.g., life satisfaction) and negative correlations with negative indicators of psychological adjustment (e.g., depression), whereas Negative Rumination showed negative correlations with positive indicators of psychological adjustment (e.g., life satisfaction) and positive correlations with negative indicators of psychological adjustment (e.g., depression). In addition, all PANRS scores showed satisfactory reliability (Cronbach’s alpha) and temporal stability (test-retest). Overall the findings suggest that the PANRS is a reliable and valid instrument to assess positive and negative aspects of rumination among school students.
Biography:
Dr.Rachel Priyanka Pulla has completed her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from Jawaharlal Nehru Medical college, Karnataka under KLE University and then went on to perusing her Masters Degree in Pediatrics at the age of 25years from Sri Ramachandra Medical College and research institute, Chennai. During her course she had presented in various conferences in Reginional, national and International platforms. She is the co-founder of an non-profit organization in India called the Healing Train Foundation committed to providing better education, clothing, healthcare, empowering Girl child, adolescent life- skills, Awareness on children’s rights and nutrition among children aged between 0 to 19 years.
Abstract:
We see an increasing change in media usage trend in our evolving generation as we now are in the cusp of Digital Pioneers who are born in an evolved technology era; they see multitasking and instant communication as an efficient way of life. They imbibed technology to save time and balance both family and virtual world. They are a force of informal learners. They are challenging us to rethink our definition of basic functionality and New media technology effect on Health-related quality of life and how we approach Media literacy. We must be armed and ready to face that challenge and to ensure that they reap the potential benefits as safely as possible. In this study, we enrolled 1050 adolescent participants and performed a Community-based descriptive cross-sectional study and determined the Health-related quality of life, and the new media technology frequencies and pattern of usage among middle adolescent school going children. We also determined the Impact of New media on the health-related quality of life of middle adolescents using the KIDSCREEN 52 questionnaire tool. This study assesses adolescents subjective health and well-being in 10 different domains and compared them with the usage of New Media Technologies to learn their Health-related quality of life(HRQoL) outcomes and categorized into low and high HRQOL based on the cut off 40(below and above respectively) described in the ten domains of the Kidscreen 52 into light,moderate and heavy Users. In conclusion, the Overall majority of them had a perception of high HRQOL indicating moderate usage of Digital technologies is more a way of life.
Liezille Jacobs
Rhodes University, South Africa
Title: Women’s stories about alcohol use disorder mediated by alcoholics anonymous
Biography:
Dr. Liezille Jacobs is a senior lecturer in the Psychology Department at Rhodes University. Dr. Jacobs teaches social psychology and critical health psychology to undergraduates. She also oversees the research of postgraduate students studying addiction. She has been working in addiction and feminist research for the past 20 years. Her specific research interest is to study women’s unique experiences with alcohol use disorder. Dr. Jacobs has worked at the South African Medical Research Council, the Human Sciences Research Council, the University of Cape Town, the University of the Western Cape, Howard University, Howard University Hospital, Georgetown University and the University of Antwerpen where she taught research methods and conducted research on addiction.
Abstract:
This study explored women’s lived recovery experiences from alcohol use disorder (AUD) facilitated by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). The women (n = 10; age range 30–62 years; married = 6) completed life story interviews regarding their recovery from AUD with AA participation. Discourse analysis of the interview data yielded themes to suggest the women characterize their recovery as spiritual growth, a healing process with reliance of a higher authority, renewed purpose of life, and actively engaging rehabilitation. Spirituality appears a key resource in women’s AUD recovery
Biography:
Tobyn Tribbeck, is currently working as Principle Teacher and Director at Prezent Mind, in UK. Tobyn is an international meditation teacher and mindfulness coach. He runs day workshops, one to one sessions and residential retreats specifically aimed at finding happiness through dropping the ‘identity that seeks’. It is the very idea of finding perfection and developing that is cause of our dissatisfaction. This seeking energy is the same pattern that seeks fulfilment in all external sensation and phenomenon His unique and direct approach allows people to see clearly what we 'add' unnecessarily to a situation. With more than thirty years of mindfulness and Zen training.
Abstract:
Many people experience an insatiable sense of unworthiness and lack in their lives. This is often a subtle and pernicious feeling, but it drives our choices at every level and is broadly perpetuated by our culture. We seek relief from this sense of unworthiness in many ways; this is often in fleeting moments of satisfaction. However, one can discover that the underlying feeling of lack remains. Generally this only encourages us to seek again, immersing ourselves once more in varying degrees of denial and elaborate coping strategies. There is a deeply held notion with many people that by ‘embarking on the spiritual journey’ or through self-analysis the answer to our plight will be revealed. Over the Past 15 years there has been a surge of interest in mindfulness as a therapeutic model. Mindfulness is being applied to increasingly diverse range of conditions and the number of academic publications on the subject has grown exponentially. However mindfulness, therapy and self-development are not the answer within themselves. They are the signpost through which the truth can be seen. Development can become a method by which people compare and judge themselves. In short, the same feeling of lack that drove them in their material lives is now driving their spiritual identity. The feeling of one day being good enough and impossibly seeking the infinite in the finite are all very much still at play. At its best our work can only point to the simple wonder of just being, and attempt to illuminate the futility of seeking for it. Neither accepting or rejecting any process, but to expose, without compromise, the singular and fundamental misconception that drives the belief that there is something called a seeker that needs to find something else called fulfilment.
M N V Giridhar
NTR University of Health Sciences, India
Title: Psychiatric comorbidity among adolescent suicide attempters
Biography:
M N V Giridhar is a practicing Psychiatrist from Andhra Pradesh, India. He got his Doctor of Medicine (MD) in Psychiatry from renowned NTR University of Health Sciences. Due course, he did his observership in Child Psychiatry from NIMHANS, Bengaluru, an apex centre for mental health and neuroscience education in the country. He worked as Assistant Professor for two years in Narayana Medical College and involved in the teaching and research work. Currently he established his own setup named Lalitha Neuropsychiatry Center and practicing Child Psychiatry and de-addiction medicine. He is also a Medical Advisor for an US based CRO named Global Allied Pharmaceuticals (GAP). His areas of expertise are ADHD and De-addiction medicine.
Abstract:
Statement of the Problem: Adolescence refers to the long transitional developmental period between childhood and adulthood and to a maturational developmental process involving major physical, psychological, cognitive, and social transformations. It is the time when they reach out to society, tentatively at first and then confidently. Relationship with same-sex and opposite-sex grows and it is also a time of many disappointments. The common adolescent complaint is – ‘no one understands me’. Adolescents can be reliable reporters of their suicide potential and the clinician needs to be sensitive to symptoms of a major depressive disorder in assessing potentially suicidal adolescent.
Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: 30 cases of adolescent suicide attempters admitted in Narayana General Hospital, Andhra Pradesh, India were recruited in the study and detailed evaluation was done using socio-demographic proforma, ICD-10 to arrive at a psychiatric diagnosis, suicide intent scale, and Hamilton Depression Rating scale to evaluate the level of depression.
Findings: Among suicide attempters, 67% (20 of 30) had psychiatric morbidity while there was no psychiatric morbidity among 33%. The severe depressive episode was present in 6.7%, a moderate depressive episode was present in 20%, mild depressive episode in 30%. 1 patient had adjustment disorder, dysthymia, and mixed anxiety and depression. No psychiatric diagnosis was noted in 33.3% of patients as in the pie chart below. It clearly indicates that majority of suicides in adolescents are followed by mild depressive episodes in contrary.
Conclusion & Significance: The results of the study indicated that there was a significant association between depressions scoring with suicide intent of the attempter. Two-thirds of the patients were diagnosed with psychiatric disorders at the time of admission. Psychiatric morbidity always should be taken into consideration when managing these groups of patients for further management.
Biography:
Almudena Martorell Cafranga is PhD at Faculty of Medicine (Department of Psychiatry) at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain) and A LA PAR Foundation’s General Head, having worked since the beginning of her professional career in the assessment and improvement of mental health in people with intellectual disabilities (ID).
Abstract:
Statement of the Problem: Compared to general population, people with intellectual disabilities (ID) are exposed to a high number of traumatic events throughout their lives and those events will affect their quality of life (QoL) due to a higher vulnerability to cope with extraordinary situations. The specificity of the traumatic symptomatology and the difficulties that clinicians have to understand these symptoms, complicate the ability to provide adequate psychosocial care. Literature reports a high prevalence of anxiety, depression and post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in people with ID who have experienced traumatic events. Despite the impact this has on their QoL, on their emotional state and on their environment, there are no validated scales in Spanish which help clinicians to make an accurate diagnosis in order to provide more specialized interventions.
Aim: The aim of this study is to validate the Spanish version of what would complete a traumatic symptomatology battery assessment for people with ID and to analyze the type and frequency of the symptoms depending on the traumatic event.
Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: 120 people with ID (older18) and their main careers have been interviewed through a traumatic symptomatology battery. The inter-rater and test retest reliabilities are being analyzed and the symptomatology frequency associated to each of the different traumatic events will be measured.
Findings: The main research hypothesis considered are, those scales under validation process will adequately assess the symptomatology previously mentioned within Spanish population with ID. Additionally, we expect to find higher scores in PTSD when being victims of sexual abuse, intimidation or threats.
Conclusions & Significance: This traumatic symptomatology battery will be an important step towards the comprehensive care within the mental health of people with ID. Its dissemination to ID centers throughout Spain will be carried out, improving mental health care in people with ID.
Biography:
Hamid Yahya Hessian enrolled with different international organization, UNICEIF, WHO, ICRC, IOM and others as programs manager and expert. He worked as environmental expert ant ministry of environment, Iraq and worked as training consultant, researcher, and programs manager at ministries of health and higher education and scientific research in different Middle East and North Africa region He is a member of editorial Board 26 international medical journals worldwide and member of 33 international association e.g. APHA, IEA, MENAPF, EMAME, American college of occupational and environmental medicine, American college of Epidemiology , American academy of family medicine, Canadian College of family physician Qualified with PhD family and community medicine, FFPH-UK, MFPH-UK, FRCPSG-Glasgow, DIP-Respire Edge Hills UK, MFMLM-UK Cardiology Fellowship Japan, Obesity Medicine fellowship –London Supervised more than (30) PhD thesis, 25 MSc thesis, and published 200 article worldwide cited more than 150 times. He contribute as authors to CDC textbook on Ethics in Public Health, cases spanning around the Globe.
Abstract:
Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a public health concern in Dubai and autism is the most common of the pervasive developmental disorders in Dubai. Autism poses a particularly large public health challenge and an inspiring lifelong challenge for many families; it is a lifelong challenge of a different nature, it is a spectrum of neurodevelopment disorder which often results in an array of motor impairments. These motor impairments often lead to reduced performance in activities of daily living as well as in societal tasks which require specific motor abilities and skills.
Objectives: The objective is to study the prevalences, determinants and prediction of autism among Dubai population and to study some associated factors.
Methodology: Retrospective records review approach has been applied, qualitative methodology (focus groups with mental health experts working at: Al Jalila hospital (AJH), Dubai Autism Centre (DAC), Dubai Rehabilitation Centre for Disabilities, Latifa Hospital, Private Sector Healthcare (PSH)). Quantitative methodology through, prevalence, incidence estimates based on international research (a systematic research review) along with expert interviews has been applied as well.
Results: The study showed that 84.9% of the cases were males and 51.9% of the autism cases were females, 30.9% were UAE nationals and 69.1% were expatriate, about 72.4% were diagnosed as autism spectrum disorders, 9.2% as ASD features and 9.2% were diagnosed as other disorders when autism diagnostic test applied; and Dubai Autism Centre estimates it affects 1 in 146 births (0.68%). By applying these estimates to the total number of births in Dubai for 2014, it is predicted there would be approximately 199 children (of which 58, (29.1%) were nationals and 141, (70.9%) were non–nationals) suffering from autism at some stage. About 16.4% of children seek help for ASD assessment (through their families) between the age group 6–18+. It is critical to understand and address factors for seeking late stage diagnosis, as ASD can be diagnosed much earlier and how many of these later presenters are actually diagnosed with ASD. Families do not consult GPs for early diagnosis for a variety of reasons including cultural reasons. The study reflected future prediction of the cases based on international standards prevalence and the population density as reflected by which reflected the highest prevalence at the age intervals of 25-29 years, 30-34 years and 35-39 years respectively.
Conclusion: Autism is still ongoing challenging public health issue in Dubai, in terms of rising up prevalence, incidences, trends, cases sorting out and management context of autism is one of actual national health care system gaps.
Recommendation: Effective school health strategies is needed and implemented by nurses who are qualified and experienced in identifying children with ASD. Training of GP’s to aid early diagnosis of autism and increase awareness. There is an urgent need for an adult autism centre for when the children leave the safe environment of the school at 18 years. There is a need for further studies to cover the needs of people with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).