Pradytia Putri Pertiwi, S.Psi., Ph.D, a lecturer at the Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), was invited by the American Red Cross through the Global Disaster Preparedness Center (GDPC) to present her research on the inclusivity and actionability of volcanic hazard Early Warning Systems (EWS) for persons with disabilities (PwD) in Indonesia. The study has been published on the GDPC–American Red Cross platform under the title “Inclusivity and actionability of volcanic hazard Early Warning System in Indonesia: Perspectives of persons with disabilities”.

Sheilla Varadhila Peristianto, M.Psi., Psikolog, successfully earned her doctoral degree at the open defense of the Doctoral Program in Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, on Tuesday (19/08). Her dissertation, titled “The Concept of Rasa Rumangsa and Its Relation to the Subjective Burden of Families Caring for Individuals with Schizophrenia”, marked her as the 6,672nd doctoral graduate of UGM.

The Faculty of Psychology at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), in collaboration with TVRI Yogyakarta, presented the sixth episode of the program OPSI: Obrolan Psikologi (Psychological Talks), which aired on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, from 3:00 to 4:00 PM (WIB). This episode carried the theme "Beyond Nature, Beyond Network: Building Mental Resilience," highlighting the connection between nature-based activities and psychological endurance.

The theme was chosen in response to the rising pressures of modern life, which is fast-paced, highly competitive, and filled with demands. Amid the relentless digital world, reconnecting with nature offers a way to calm the mind and restore inner strength. Outdoor activities not only provide peace but also help sharpen one’s ability to face challenges with patience, calmness, and mindfulness.

Yogyakarta, May 5, 2025 — A recent study titled “A bibliometric analysis on disaster volunteer resilience research: All time period”, published in the Scopus-indexed proceedings IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1479 012036, reveals global trends, collaborations, and key focuses in disaster volunteer resilience research.

The workshop featured three lecturers from the Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM): Prof. Dr. Sofia Retnowati, M.S., Psychologist; Prof. Drs. Subandi, M.A., Ph.D., Psychologist; and Dr. Diana Setiyawati, M.HSc.Psy., Psychologist. These individuals were directly involved in psychosocial recovery programs following the tsunami. UGM played a significant role in Aceh’s recovery post-tsunami, with its Faculty of Psychology actively supporting the psychosocial rehabilitation of the community. This support included deploying psychologists to various community health centers (puskesmas), including in the Meulaboh area, and initiating collaboration to establish a Psychology Study Program at the Faculty of Medicine, Syiah Kuala University. This initiative was part of long-term efforts to build local capacity in mental health.

The workshop’s in-depth discussions aimed to evaluate the achievements of mental health programs over the past two decades while formulating concrete follow-up action plans. “All parties agree that the presence of psychologists in puskesmas needs to continue, just as it was during the tsunami recovery period. This step is crucial for strengthening mental health services at the community level,” explained Dr. Diana Setiyawati.

The main commemoration event is scheduled for December 26, 2024, in Meulaboh, one of the areas most severely affected by the disaster. The event will be attended by the Dean of the Faculty of Psychology UGM, Rahmat Hidayat, M.Sc., Ph.D., and Drs. Haryanto, M.Si., Psychologist, representing the Faculty of Psychology UGM, along with local officials and community members. This commemoration serves as an important moment to honor the victims and to strengthen solidarity in building a more resilient future for Aceh.

This series of commemorative events is not only an opportunity for reflection but also a reminder of the importance of preparedness and collaboration in facing future disaster challenges.

Author and photo: Wulan Nur Jatmika, S.Psi., M.Sc.

Tourism has become a vital sector for the Indonesian economy, especially in Bali. However, the influx of tourists has significantly transformed the lifestyle of the Balinese community—including the involvement of children in tourism activities. This illegal involvement has been exacerbated by the disturbing rise of Child Sex Tourism (CST), which includes pedophilia and the sexual abuse of minors.

In response to this alarming issue, four students from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), each from different academic disciplines, joined forces as part of the Student Creativity Program for Social and Humanities Research (PKM-RSH) to conduct field research in Bali.

“Thank God, I can represent the Faculty of Psychology in third place at UGM,” said Nadia happily, on Monday (1/4).

Nadia explained that in the 2024 presidential election, she had to go through two selection stages, namely the Creative Ideas (GK) selection and the Superior Achievements (CU). GK selection involves developing ideas that can contribute to the country by the study program to overcome existing problems based on the SDGs. Nadia presented an idea entitled “Contribution to Psychological Science through an Anti-Waste Action Plan (RAMAH) using the Theory of Planned Behavior as an Effort to Save the Earth.”

“I raised this topic because of concerns about environmental problems and understanding human behavior related to waste management,” he explained.

Furthermore, in the CU selection, Nadia explained that there were several categories, including competition, recognition, awards, work results, organization, community service, and entrepreneurship.

“In this superior achievement, I try to spread the achievements across all categories from international to national level,” he added.

When asked about her motivation for taking part in this event, Nadia admitted that her motivation came from the desire to inspire others through achievement and enthusiasm when facing failure. Even though she did not succeed in advancing to regional and national levels, Nadia hopes that her journey in achieving achievements and inspiring many people does not stop here.

“In the future, I hope that with this title I can be responsible and also continue to inspire many people, let alone inspire friends who want to enter UGM, especially in the psychology department,” he said.

Author: Erna