Psychologists at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) were surprised to learn last year that Doctor’s Day did not include psychologists and that there was no separate day to recognize psychology — and they wanted to fix that.
“We are so proud of our profession and the many ways that psychology can provide value to society and our colleagues. We felt it was so important to acknowledge that publicly and give back to our psychologists who work so hard to provide high quality care to the public, clinically and academically,” says Katlyn Rice, PhD, a pediatric psychologist at URMC.
Rice and her colleagues quickly identified Psychology Day at the United Nations as a tie-in to celebrate locally and acknowledged the psychologists at URMC with free coffee, baked goods and messages of thanks posted around the hospital.
This year, the idea is taking off and expanding beyond psychologists in medical settings. On Wednesday, May 27, psychologists are celebrating Psychology Day locally in their own settings, on social media and through the United Nations Psychology Day virtual event. Any activity that celebrates psychology or educates the public about the value of psychology is encouraged. These can include publicly thanking a psychologist for their work on social media or on community signs, sharing pictures of psychologists in unique roles so the public can see the breadth of the field, or simply sending a private email message to thank a psychologist for providing growth opportunities, support or mentorship.
People who use social media for these messages are asked to use the hashtags #PsychologyDay2020 and #PsychDayUN2020 to join the conversation.
The UN event will be virtual for the first time in its 13-year history, which will allow for more widespread attendance. This year’s theme will focus on the increase in nationalist movements and the importance of multilateralism in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and other global challenges.
Rice says this is a particularly important time to be recognizing one another in the field. “Psychologists have a critical role in the COVID-19 crisis, and it’s important that we acknowledge that health isn’t just physical,” she says. “It’s also a time of connecting — and Psychology Day is a way to connect, celebrate and find new ways to collaborate as an entire field.”