WASHINGTON — Following is a statement by Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association, on the election of Joseph R. Biden Jr. as president and Kamala D. Harris as vice president:
“The American Psychological Association looks forward to welcoming former Vice President Joe Biden to the office of president of the United States and the beginning of a new, hopeful era with a leader who has committed to unite our country and implement policies that will stem the spread of COVID-19 and move us closer to having effective treatments and a safe vaccine. Psychological science will be crucial to aiding the president-elect and vice president-elect on a variety of issues in the COVID-19 fight, including helping to motivate individuals to adopt the science-based treatment and interventions that will be necessary for our success.
“America is a nation in trauma. We are experiencing record stress as a result of the pandemic, economic uncertainty and concerns about racial justice. We will look to the Biden administration to move quickly to address policies that have been harmful to the mental and physical health of the nation and to support increased funding for and wider dissemination and use of the important psychological research that can help our country rebuild and heal its workplaces, its schools, its communities and its people. We also ask that the Biden administration support continuing access to telehealth as our nation copes with these challenges.
“APA supports President-elect Biden in his goal to preserve and strengthen the Affordable Care Act and defend it against judicial challenges. We also look forward to the Biden administration’s respecting and using science to inform critical public policy decisions.
“The American Psychological Association stands ready to work with the new administration and the new Congress to implement laws and policies that will benefit society and improve people’s lives.”