Psychology Week 2018 (11-17 November) will focus on enhancing social wellbeing and helping Australians build positive social connections, with the overall aim of demonstrating how psychology helps people lead happier, healthier and more productive lives.
Now in its 16th year, National Psychology Week 2018 will build on previous campaigns which have emphasised how important relationships with family and friends are to wellbeing and to psychological health.
The APS will be running a survey, to examine Australians’ social connections, mental and physical health, and quality of life. The results will help determine the quality of Australians’ social networks, levels of loneliness, what factors influence loneliness, and the overall impactof loneliness.
The National Psychology Week campaign will explore social wellbeing broadly, including how psychology can help Australians build more positive social connections. Media engagement is a key means of enhancing the community’s understanding of how psychologists and psychology are making a difference to the lives of Australians.
Social media will also be a critical part of the campaign – a way to share stories, resources and encourage dialogue around key issues. By drawing on our combined social media networks, psychologists have the capacity to reach thousands of people. The National Office will be producing shareable resources (such as tip sheets) which will be available on the website and APS social media channels. Members can participate by liking, sharing and retweeting Psychology Week posts and content or posting using #psychweek.
As in previous years, member participation is central to the success of the campaign. We will soon provide further information on how you can run local events and help promote awareness of the community survey. Examples of ways members can get involved include hosting a public talk on loneliness, running a workshop on enhancing relationships, or displaying promotional material in your practice or organisation, a shopping centre or a networking event. Members will also be encouraged to look for opportunities to obtain media coverage of local events connected to Psychology Week.
Disclaimer: Published in InPsych on August 2018. The APS aims to ensure that information published in InPsych is current and accurate at the time of publication. Changes after publication may affect the accuracy of this information. Readers are responsible for ascertaining the currency and completeness of information they rely on, which is particularly important for government initiatives, legislation or best-practice principles which are open to amendment. The information provided in InPsych does not replace obtaining appropriate professional and/or legal advice.