Global Psychology Alliance

Where we started:

In 2019, the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Portuguese Order of Psychologists co-convened the inaugural International Summit on Psychology and Global Health: A Leader in Climate Action, in Lisbon, Portugal. This working meeting was the first of its kind in its ability to bring together high-level leaders from more than 40 national, regional, and international psychological associations to develop a framework to develop and work towards shared aims and commitments related to psychology’s contributions to addressing the climate crisis.

Following the 2019 Summit, this group organized as the Global Psychology Alliance to continue collaborating on issues such as climate change, global mental health, and emerging issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our impact:

Foundational to the Alliance's mission is our ability to collaboratively and actively address global issues to have real, timely impact. Alliance efforts in its initial 2 years have focused on climate change, global mental health, the COVID-19 pandemic, leadership development, and human rights. The Alliance has also engaged in advocacy efforts within the United Nations and national governments. The Alliance's signature approach is to develop culturally adaptable and inclusive resources that can be easily translated and applied to diverse local contexts.

Inaugural International Summit on Psychology and Global Health: A Leader in Climate Action

The 2019 International Summit on Psychology and Global Health: A Leader in Climate Action was the first truly global meeting of its kind. Summit participants and, subsequently, Alliance members developed shared leadership approaches that advanced organized psychology’s ability to amplify contributions of psychological science to issues of global significance. Specifically, the associations represented at the Lisbon Summit agreed to work together to grow its global leadership network in the interest of elevating the field and addressing urgent challenges, starting with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #13: Climate Action.

At the Climate Summit, presidents and CEOs of 40+ national, regional, and international psychology associations adopted a joint proclamation and resolution affirming their commitment to taking action on climate at the organizational level. These leaders also developed concrete actions to increase psychology’s role in efforts to prevent and mitigate climate change impacts and prepare communities for the inevitable challenges ahead.

Second International Summit on Psychology and Global Health: Leadership for Emerging Challenges

Years of twice-monthly meetings prepared this committed, global group of leaders in psychology for the Second International Summit on Psychology and Global Health: Leadership for Emerging Challenges, co-convened by APA, the Colegio Colombiano de Psicólogos, the University of the Andes, and the Asociación Colombiana de Facultades de Psicología in June 2022. The 2022 summit gathered established and emerging leaders in psychology from across the world to continue collaborative efforts to create change within the framework of the UN Sustainable  Development Goals (SDGs), with a focus on global health, climate action, and equity. Alliance participating organizations formally reaffirmed their commitment to these goals through signing a Proclamation and Resolution, and developing a roadmap for the future of global psychology through 2025. 

Climate Change, Human Rights, and the United Nations

In a first for global psychology, the Alliance sent a delegation to attend the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow, Scotland, to advocate for the inclusion of key psychological science and policy language in climate policy and agreements. Alliance members met representatives from many countries including the Deputy Foreign Minister from Japan, the Health Minister from Bangladesh, and the Energy Minister from Russia, in addition to many representatives from the scientific, business, and NGO communities.

Following COP26, GPA hosted a virtual conference on Psychology in action: Leading for the Climate. This event, which reached nearly 600 attendees from around the world, featured remarks from the Honorable Abdulla Shahid, Foreign Minister of the Maldives and President of the UN General Assembly, on hopeful narratives for climate action. The President of the German Association of Psychologists will represent GPA at the UN climate change conference in Bonn in June, 2022.

The Alliance has been active at the United Nations on a number of fronts. Members have been actively involved in advocacy around the 2021 and 2022 High-level Political Forums on Sustainable Development.

In 2021, psychological associations from the Uruguayan Psychological Society, the Psychological Association of Namibia, and the Korean Psychological Association contacted their governments to encourage them to include a focus on health equity in their Voluntary National Reviews, culminating in a UN Side Event featuring remarks from the Vice President of Costa Rica, numerous Ambassadors to the UN, and distinguished psychological scientists.

Alliance members were also critical to the success of Psychology’s contribution to global human rights, a webinar focused on psychology's contributions to combatting discrimination and promote human rights.

In 2022, Presidents of the Jamaican Psychological Society and the Ghanian Psychological Association joined with members of the American Psychological Association (APA) team to meet with their Ambassadors to the UN to encourage them to disaggregate data by relevant race/ethnicity in their Voluntary National Reviews.

In early 2021, the Alliance did not hesitate to express solidarity with and support for our Ukrainian colleagues and citizens as they endure a military assault. Alliance members moved quickly to offer tangible support for refugees and those supporting them, financial assistance for Ukrainian psychologists addressing the psychosocial needs of their communities, increasing access to key resources through the translation of documents and online trainings, and making connections to experts in critical areas such as war trauma. As this crisis continues, the Alliance will be standing with our Ukrainian psychologists colleagues as they work tirelessly to support their country.

In response to the vast number of psychologists around the world hoping to help address the psychosocial needs emerging from international disasters and conflicts, the Alliance revised a 2008 APA document and developed an accompanying tip sheet on the role of psychologists in international emergencies, which outlined an ethical and impactful approach to supporting communities in need. The updated statement and tip sheet is currently available in 13+ languages.

COVID-19 Pandemic

During the height of the pandemic in early 2020, the Alliance met weekly to share resources, problem-solve, and jointly address urgent challenges. Public health orders to stay at home, while important for decreasing the spread of the virus, led to an increase in home-based violence and barriers to accessing support for those victimized. In response to this alarming global trend, the Alliance developed an evidence-based, action-oriented tip sheet for psychologists. In addition to this document, which was translated into more than 19 languages, each Alliance member association shared additional resources relevant to their communities and contexts with psychologist members and the public.

The Alliance also developed a stress management resource for essential workers facing a disproportionate level of risk and subsequent mental health impacts. This problem-solving poster, grounded in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, provided a simply and engaging step-by-step approach to identifying stressors, thinking through possible solutions, and taking action. By translating this resource in 18+ languages and sharing it widely, the Alliance aimed to support individuals who are under immense stress but may not have access mental healthcare.

Global Psychology Learning Leadership Institute

With support from the APA, the Alliance founded the Global Psychology Learning Leadership Institute in 2021 to bring together established and emerging leaders in the field with the aim of creating a leadership pipeline and ensuring the voices of future leaders of psychology are represented in global efforts. Through cross-cultural mentorship, presentations by experts, the development of individual leadership projects, and attendance at the 2022 International Summit on Psychology and Global Health: Leadership for Emerging Challenges, young leaders from 30+ Alliance member associations are making an impact in their home country, expanding the global community, and shaping the direction of psychology alongside established leaders in the field.

Expert Engagement

Since 2020, the Alliance has engaged with numerous globally respected experts and leaders from the United States Agency for International Development, Harvard University, the World Health Organization, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the London School of Economics, National Geographic, and Government Cabinets on critical topics such as global mental health, climate change, gender-based violence, disaster response, indigenous knowledge, and COVID-19. More than 20 expert presentations deepened Alliance member understanding of complex issues and systems in relation to psychology’s potential contributions.