Yogyakarta, May 12, 2026 — Efforts to strengthen mental health services in Indonesia have once again received a contribution from researchers at Universitas Gadjah Mada. A research team from the Faculty of Psychology at Universitas Gadjah Mada, together with national and international partners, successfully adapted and validated an Indonesian-language version of a behavioral activation measurement instrument for depression through a study titled “Adaptation and Validation of the Indonesian Version of Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale – Short Form (BADS-SF) Using Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Rasch Modeling.” The study was published in JP3I (Indonesian Journal of Psychological and Educational Measurement) and involved collaboration between researchers from UGM, Universitas Diponegoro, as well as academics from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and the University of Washington.

Following the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on the Acceleration of Psychological Service System Integration and GMST Mandiri held on April 10–11, 2026, the Unit for the Development of Psychodiagnostic Instruments (UPAP) conducted a trial of its new PAPs test platform.

The Faculty of Psychology at Universitas Gadjah Mada has officially received the transfer of Economic Rights for the AJT Cognitive Test from PT Melintas Cakrawala Indonesia (MCI) through a signing ceremony held on Thursday (7/5) in Room D-506 of the Faculty of Psychology UGM.

Yogyakarta, May 7, 2026 – Amid the euphoria surrounding scientific publication and the obsession with global indexing systems, one fundamental question is rarely asked: are we truly producing knowledge, or merely fulfilling academic administrative standards?

Research from the Faculty of Psychology at Universitas Gadjah Mada on people-pleasing behavior from the perspective of the Javanese concept of sungkan opens the door to broader reflection. The article titled “People Pleaser Behavior within the Perspective of Sungkan: A Psycho-Anthropological Interpretation” demonstrates that the tendency to please others is not merely an individual trait, but rather the result of deep cultural constructions rooted in values of respect, harmony, and social relationships.

Have you ever asked a teenager, “How was your day?” only to receive a brief reply? Or tried to have a heartfelt conversation, only to find their attention fixed on a screen? These situations often raise questions: is there something we need to better understand about communicating with today’s teenagers?

Yogyakarta, May 6, 2026 – Amid growing pressure to publish and the increasing emphasis on global indexing systems such as Scopus, researchers from the Faculty of Psychology at Universitas Gadjah Mada have warned that methodological quality should not be sacrificed for publication quantity. This concern was emphasized through a recent study examining common method bias (CMB) in quantitative research methodologies.

Yogyakarta, May 5, 2026 – Researchers from Universitas Gadjah Mada have once again highlighted their contribution to strengthening governance through a recent academic publication. The study, published in the Journal of Social Sciences and Politics (JSP), examines the psychological mechanisms underlying public sector employee behavior while supporting the global agenda of Sustainable Development Goal 16 on strong, transparent, and accountable institutions.

The Center for Public Mental Health (CPMH) at the Faculty of Psychology of Universitas Gadjah Mada held its regular program once again, the Online Lecture (Kulon), now in its 71st edition. Carrying the theme “Take It Slow: Healthy Ways to Manage Anxiety,” the event was conducted online via Zoom on Friday morning (24/4), from 09.00–10.30 WIB, and was moderated by Marsha Prifirani, S.Psi.

The Faculty of Psychology at Universitas Gadjah Mada, together with the Psychology Student Parents Association (POTMAPSI), held a POTMAPSI Meeting and Academic Transcript (KHS) Consultation for the 2025 cohort students online on Friday (24/4). The meeting served as both a networking space and a discussion forum for the faculty and parents to review students’ academic progress after completing their first semester.

A total of 3,000 participants from across Indonesia took part in the Orientation on Psychological First Aid for Psychological Wounds (P3LP) in Schools for Guidance and Counseling (BK) teachers, held on Wednesday–Thursday, April 22–23, 2026, from 07.30–13.00 WIB. The event was conducted online via Zoom and live streamed on YouTube, as an effort to strengthen the role of schools in promoting mental health as well as enhancing the capacity of BK teachers to provide initial psychological support in crisis situations.