Student mental health is now a serious concern on many campuses, including Gadjah Mada University. Data and observations show an increase in mental health problems among students, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Amidst various academic responsibilities and other activities such as organizations, part-time jobs, and friendship dynamics, there is a risk of problems such as health issues and psychological problems arising. However, students' willingness to access mental health services still faces many obstacles. 

A research team from the Center for Life-Span Development (CLSD), Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), is initiating a qualitative study to understand how Indonesian adolescents define mental health, the challenges they face, and the protective and risk factors that shape their psychological well-being. National data indicate that 34.9% of adolescents experienced mental health problems in the past 12 months, yet only 2.6% have accessed services. In response, this study seeks to foreground adolescents’ own voices to ensure that resulting interventions genuinely align with their lived experiences. This research is funded by the 2025 UGM Faculty of Psychology Research Grant.

The surge of online gambling practices in Indonesia, estimated to involve 1 percent of the population, with the majority in productive age groups, highlights the need for an accurate screening tool to detect gambling disorder and its impacts on mental health, social relationships, and work performance. Responding to this need, a multidisciplinary research team from the Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), in collaboration with the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, is adapting and validating the Gambling Disorder Identification Test (GDIT) into Indonesian. This initiative is expected to provide a valid and reliable screening instrument for researchers and practitioners in Indonesia.

Amid the growing role of social media in shaping public opinion, a new study from the Faculty of Psychology at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) examines how political conversations in digital spaces influence young people’s emotions and political engagement. Drawing on the dynamics of discourse on platforms like TikTok—from sympathetic support to aggressive commentary, the research seeks to understand users’ response patterns to political conversations of differing tones and characteristics. This study is funded by the 2025 Research Grant of the Faculty of Psychology UGM and is situated within the Cyberpsychology theme at the Center for Indigenous and Cultural Psychology (CICP).

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”.

The Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), has established a partnership with the Civil Service and Human Resource Development Agency (BKPSDM) of Balikpapan City. The signing of the cooperation agreement took place at the Faculty of Psychology UGM on Wednesday (September 24). read more

The Faculty of Psychology at Universitas Gadjah Mada, through the Center for Indigenous and Cultural Psychology (CICP), organized an Internal Workshop: Youth Studies, Livelihood, Relational Wellbeing, and Scoping Review on September 10–12, 2025, at ARTOTEL Yogyakarta. This activity is part of the U’Good Grant Program: Vulnerable Youth – Navigating Meaningful Livelihood in Indonesia, an international research initiative that aims to explore social relations, community support, and the role of institutions in helping vulnerable youth achieve meaningful livelihoods. The UGood Grant Program is supported by the National Research Foundation (South Africa), Fondation Botnar (Switzerland), and the Human Sciences Research Council (South Africa).

A proud achievement comes from the Faculty of Psychology at Universitas Gadjah Mada. The book Tazkiya Therapy in Islamic Psychoteraphy by Dr. Bagus Riyono, M.A., Psikolog, originally published by the renowned international publisher Routledge, has now been officially released in Russian. This work, born from the thoughts of an Indonesian academic, is a testament that local ideas can be appreciated and recognized on the global stage.

Yogyakarta – The Center for Public Mental Health (CPMH) of the Faculty of Psychology at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) once again held an online lecture titled “Childhood Footprints: The Impact of Adverse Experiences and the Power of Positive Experiences” on Friday (07/18). The theme explored how childhood experiences affect mental health and how positive experiences can counteract painful ones.

In her presentation, Diana Setiyawati, S.Psi., MHSc., Ph.D., Psychologist, a lecturer at UGM’s Faculty of Psychology, emphasized that life stress alone is not the sole cause of mental disorders.

The Faculty of Psychology at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) once again held its graduation ceremony for postgraduate programs alongside the professional oath-taking for psychologists of Academic Year 2024/2025, Term IV. A total of 44 graduates were officially released during the event held at Hall D of the Faculty of Psychology UGM on Wednesday (July 23). This number includes three graduates from the Doctoral Program in Psychology, 19 from the Master of Psychology Program, and 22 from the Professional Master of Psychology Program.