Yogyakarta, April 24, 2025 — An article titled “Understanding Work Engagement in Public Administration: A Comprehensive Bibliometric and Systematic Review of the Past Decade”, authored by Iqbal Saffariz Santosa, Erwan Agus Purwanto, Sumaryono, and Puguh Prasetya Utomo, has been published in Social Sciences and Humanities Open, Volume 11 (2025), Article Number 101479. This journal is indexed in Scopus (Q1), with a 2023 SJR of 0.691 and an Impact Score of 4.2.
Yogyakarta, April 23, 2025 — An article titled “The Hygiene Hypothesis of Crime: Examining the Link Between Disgust-Related Diseases and Crime Incidence” by Samudera F. Jamaluddin has been published in Acta Psychologica, Volume 256, article number 105013. This journal is indexed in Scopus with a Best Quartile (Q1), an SJR score of 0.854 (2024), and an Impact Factor (IF) of 2.1.
The Faculty of Psychology at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), in collaboration with TVRI Yogyakarta, presents a weekly interactive talk show titled OPSI: Psychological Talk. The premiere episode aired on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, from 3:00 to 4:00 PM WIB, featuring the theme "Unveiling the Phenomenon of Brain Rot."
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.
The Inclusive Learning Innovation Project aims to develop innovative and inclusive learning strategies for students with special needs in higher education. As part of this initiative, each team from funded universities was required to design inclusive learning plans, textbooks, and educational videos. Additionally, the teams conducted research that resulted in journal articles evaluating the effectiveness of the implemented strategies.
The UGM team, composed of faculty members from the UGM Faculty of Psychology, was led by Elga Andriana, S.Psi., M.Ed., Ph.D., and Edilburga Wulan Saptandari, S.Psi., M.Psi., Ph.D., Psychologist. They developed a learning strategy that integrates traditional Photovoice methods with AI-based Photovoice, specifically tailored for the course on Educational Psychology and Character Development.
Key contributors to the project included Naida Shafa Ghozalba, a student from UGM’s International Undergraduate Program (IUP) in Psychology (Class of 2021), and Ukhtina Duhi Anindita, S.Psi., M.Psi., Psychologist, an alumna of UGM’s Professional Psychology program. They played pivotal roles in developing learning materials and acted as peer researchers alongside other team members.
The project also involved three UGM Psychology students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as peer researchers. They contributed to designing inclusive learning strategies and ensured that the approaches accommodated diverse learning needs, particularly for students with special conditions. According to one of the participating students, the project provided them with a sense of gratitude as their challenges during lectures were heard and addressed with effective solutions and support.
Prof. David Evans from the University of Sydney, Australia, also participated in the project, leading focus group discussions and offering valuable insights throughout its implementation.
Elga Andriana expressed, “This award is a recognition of the importance of creating inclusive learning environments where every student feels accepted and supported to reach their full potential. It also reminds us that diversity is not a barrier but a strength that enriches the learning process. Moving forward, we are increasingly motivated to create adaptive, supportive, and empowering learning environments for students with various needs.”
Elga also conveyed a message to the academic community: “Appreciate diversity as a strength. Be open-minded and support your peers, regardless of their backgrounds or needs. By supporting one another, we not only foster an inclusive learning community but also build a more equitable and humane society,” she concluded.
Writer: Relung Fajar Sukmawati
its commitment to supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by researching the adaptation of financial well-being measurement tools. This research focuses on Indonesia’s growing middle class, which plays a critical role in national economic growth.
In a study on organizations, it was found that an organization is a complex institution with interconnected elements, such as mission, leadership, human resources, values, strategy, goals, performance, vision, structure, systems, skills, and time management. To better understand problems within organizations, this research developed and tested a practical method through the Backbone Organizational Model (BOM).
Subandi, Lu’luatul Chizanah, Yuli Fajar Susetyo
Islamic Psychology Study Group
The Indonesian society, which is predominantly Muslim, is already familiar with the term diseases of the heart. This concept originates from a verse in the Holy Quran, Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 10, which means: “In their hearts is a disease, and Allah increases their disease; and for them is a painful punishment because they [habitually] lie.” The heart referred to here is not the physical heart (liver), nor the cardiovascular organ (heart), but rather the spiritual heart, known as qolbu.
Scholars and religious teachers (ulama and ustadz) have long discussed issues related to the heart (qolbu), though primarily in moral and religious contexts. There is a need to elevate the concept of diseases of the heart as a psychological framework and to explore its relationship with mental health. This study aims to identify and classify diseases of the heart as a comprehensive psychological concept and provide foundational thought to develop a psychopathy framework from an Islamic psychology perspective. This topic is highly relevant in supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, with a focus on Target 3.4—non-communicable diseases, which include the promotion of mental health. Through this research, it is hoped that a deeper understanding of the diseases of the heart will be achieved, contributing to improved mental health and overall wellbeing.
This study employs the Maqasid approach, a research method rooted in Islamic scholarship. This approach integrates knowledge sources from the Quran, Hadith, classical scholarly works, contemporary scientific research, and empirical studies while combining them with Western psychological research methods.
The findings of this study reveal five classifications of diseases of the heart:
The Elderly Phase and Its Characteristics
The elderly phase begins at the age of 60, a period marked by shifts in social roles and often characterized by increased needs for health support. This phase has unique traits, such as emerging physical health issues, the potential loss of social roles, and intensive psychological adjustments. The growing elderly population, as seen in Indonesia today, reflects significant demographic changes and presents both challenges and opportunities to support elderly well-being and active participation in society. The elderly can provide valuable contributions through the life experiences and knowledge they have accumulated, while also facing challenges stemming from social, physical, and psychological changes related to aging. Therefore, understanding the social and psychological context of aging is crucial for supporting their sustainable well-being.
The mixed event was attended by 72 participants from various professional backgrounds and institutions, including researchers, doctors, and psychologists from puskesmas, hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, universities, companies, and professional organizations.
Prof. Dra. Kwartarini Wahyu Yuniarti, M.Med.Sc., Ph.D., Psychologist, as Principal Investigator of HGI Studio and workshop moderator, opened the event by providing an overview of the research that has been carried out since 2019. This research is funded by the Productive Innovative Research of the Education Fund Management Institution of the Indonesian Ministry of Finance (RISPRO – LPDP). This research aims to develop measurements of human emotions using psychophysiological equipment such as EEG, HRV, GSR, and body temperature.
The research, which has entered its third year, is also supported by nine research centers from various universities in Indonesia, including North Sumatra University, Gunadarma University, Padjadjaran University, Maranatha University, Diponegoro University, Widya Mandala Christian University in Surabaya, Udayana University, and Ganesha University of Education.
Prof. Kwartarini explained that the rampant phenomenon of gendam and fraud became the basis of her interest in studying hypnosis further. From her findings, the use of hypnosis in therapy resulted in rapid changes for cases such as smoking cessation or specific phobias through memory reconstruction. In her exploration, Prof. Kwartarini met with various experts and realized the need for in-depth understanding so that clinical hypnotherapy can be utilized optimally. Therefore, in this workshop she invited Prof. Ismail to explain the process of memory reconstruction from a physiological perspective.
Prof. Dr. dr. Ismail Setyopranoto, Sp.S (K), is a professor of Neurology from the Department of Neurology, Faculty of Public Health Medicine and Nursing (FKKMK) UGM.
“Our organs other than the brain only receive orders,” explained Prof. Ismail. When the body receives a signal such as pain, there is a process where the signal can be amplified or ignored. This process involves chemicals such as tnf alpha and tnf beta, where tnf beta acts as a protector. With proper regulation, stress, confusion or pain can be minimized.
Furthermore, Prof. Ismail explained about the concept of balance in the body, called the interior milieu. According to him, it is important not to see bacteria as an enemy that must be eliminated immediately, because our bodies need antibodies to fight infection. The same goes for stress, which is important to manage well in children in order to maintain their mental health.
“Don’t assume that a child who learns to walk and then falls is stopped. It is a process of balance between inhibition and excitation,” she explained.
This workshop is expected to provide a deep understanding of the integration between clinical hypnosis and neuroscience and its application in modern psychological practice.
The first part of this workshop can be watched through the Knowledge Channel of the Faculty of Psychology UGM.
Author: Edwin Gandawijaya
Editor: Erna Tri Nofiyana
Photo: Yunissa Meganingtyas