Representing APA internationally is one of the great privileges of being president. Recently, I spoke at the Congress of the World Federation for Mental Health in Cairo, Egypt, and the National Academy of Psychology (NAOP) annual meeting in the holy city of Allahabad, India, where I signed a memorandum of understanding between APA and NAOP.
Both these countries have some of the most advanced civilizations in human history with philosophies that don't always fit with the tenets of Western psychology. In meeting with these organizations, it became clear to me how much American psychology can learn from them. I share a few of my learnings in this column:
All psychology is cross-cultural. It can be challenging to avoid projecting our own values and intentions in science and practice. Traveling east, I found it was an advantage to know that I don't know, to be in a state of discovery, working to understand commonalities and differences in human behavior. At home, this same "not knowing" can allow us to reflect on the automatic routines of daily life as well as our choices of what to study, how to educate, how to raise children, resolve conflict and manage impulses, love and work.
The commitment is clear to develop a psychology that incorporates Western science and Eastern philosophies. In Cairo, a North African psychiatrist spoke of incorporating a cultural commitment to strong family relationships and connection to other living things into the treatment of mental illness, while also working to end female genital mutilation and other forms of abuse. In Allahabad, psychologists repeatedly spoke of the need for an Indian psychology that reflects that country's culture and history.
However, not everything important is verifiable through our scientific methodology. The spiritual world came up in almost every conversation I had, whether it was with a psychologist, tour guide or waiter. We don't have measures for karma, but some of its principles are useful for promoting mental health, such as accountability and focusing on the quality of one's behavior. One guide told me that it is important to accompany any success by a good deed for the community.
Context matters. The challenges of treating mental illness in the refugee camps are overwhelming the Middle East and Europe. In India, new manifestations of centuries-old religious conflicts have resulted in anxiety and disease for people on all sides. How do we incorporate these experiences into our approaches to science and practice?
Contradictions and paradox are inherent in life. Presentations at both meetings discussed contradiction and paradox as inevitable, opposites coexisting without always needing resolution. When possible, the best resolution transcends opposing positions and moves to some higher common ground, rather than looking for "winners and losers." Presenters recommended focusing on healthy process rather than any particular outcome, and accountability for one's own behavior rather than that of others.
Maintaining a rich cultural heritage is a challenge. In Egypt and India, psychologists talked of maintaining their cultural heritage while participating in a globalized world. This is a challenge because some assumptions of Western models (individual, mind-body separation, etc.) do not fit Eastern experience.
Women's health, education and welfare are critical to the development of a country. One of the most concerning themes at both conferences was the roles of women in society. The rights of many women to determine the trajectory of their lives, and that of their children, are limited. Some of that is due to profound poverty and disruption from war and displacement, but some is rooted in cultures that are profoundly patriarchal.
A united psychology is a powerful force in improving human welfare. Both Egypt and India have more than one organization representing psychology and psychologists, with a need for stronger advocacy with the government for psychological services, education and research. Watching the organizations in India form a federation was inspiring, a reminder of how our common cause is larger than our differences.