International and Cultural Psychology – serie

Asian American Mental Health is a state-of-the-art compendium of the conceptual issues, empirical literature, methodological approaches, and practice guidelines for conducting culturally informed assessments of Asian Americans, and for assessing provider cultural competency within individuals and systems. It is the first of its kind on Asian Americans. This volume draws upon the expertise of many of the leading experts in Asian American and multicultural mental health to provide a much needed resource for students and professionals in a wide range of disciplines including clinical psychology, medical anthropology, psychiatry, cross-cultural psychology, multicultural counseling, ethnic minority psychology, sociology, social work, counselor education, counseling psychology, and more.

ROBERT R. MCCRAE* & JuRI ALLIK** *Nationallnstitute on Aging, **University of Tartu, Estonia Personality psychology has become an international enterprise. To take an example at random, the eight personality articles in the December, 2001, issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology included contributions from the United States, Canada, Germany, Finland, and Israel. For the most part, international personality research is not cross-cultural; it is simply personality research conducted in different countries. The implicit assumption behind this practice is that personality processes are universal, and where they are studied is thus of no consequence. An insensitivity to cul­ tural context once imputed mostly to Americans now appears to characterize the field worldwide. Fortunately, recent years have also seen a rise of interest in studies of personality and culture (Church, 2001; Church & Lonner, 1998; Lee, McCauley, & Draguns, 1999; McCrae, 2000). What do these new studies show? Are personality processes indeed universal, or are there significant variations across cultures that necessitate a more nuanced approach to research? There is as yet no definitive answer to that question. In some respects, human personality does seem to transcend the boundaries of language and culture; in other respects, it is profoundly influenced by social and historical forces. Sorting these issues out must be a priority for our field if we are to understand the current personality literature.

ROBERT R. MCCRAE* & JuRI ALLIK** *Nationallnstitute on Aging, **University of Tartu, Estonia Personality psychology has become an international enterprise. To take an example at random, the eight personality articles in the December, 2001, issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology included contributions from the United States, Canada, Germany, Finland, and Israel. For the most part, international personality research is not cross-cultural; it is simply personality research conducted in different countries. The implicit assumption behind this practice is that personality processes are universal, and where they are studied is thus of no consequence. An insensitivity to cul­ tural context once imputed mostly to Americans now appears to characterize the field worldwide. Fortunately, recent years have also seen a rise of interest in studies of personality and culture (Church, 2001; Church & Lonner, 1998; Lee, McCauley, & Draguns, 1999; McCrae, 2000). What do these new studies show? Are personality processes indeed universal, or are there significant variations across cultures that necessitate a more nuanced approach to research? There is as yet no definitive answer to that question. In some respects, human personality does seem to transcend the boundaries of language and culture; in other respects, it is profoundly influenced by social and historical forces. Sorting these issues out must be a priority for our field if we are to understand the current personality literature.

Psychology and Buddhism are each concerned with understanding and transforming human behavior. Moreover, both traditions have relevance that extends beyond the individual to the community and global level. Indeed some Buddhist traditions, such as the Nichiren sect, have devoted their entire mission to the establishment of peace worldwide. This book advances a serious consideration of how the goals and practices of psychology can be informed and enriched by Buddhist traditions that transcend the individual to consider the interconnectedness of all things, and the responsibility we have towards the other. Individualistic and psychotherapeutic applications of Buddhism in psychology are examined, followed by a bold step into the community arena, with consideration given to the intersection between community psychology and Buddhist approaches to empowerment, social change, and prevention. The emerging perspective of individuals and communities, empowered and ready to engage the millennium, ultimately has global implications for the future of humankind. Psychology and Buddhism envisions how future integration and collaboration between psychology and Buddhism have the potential to transform the way human beings understand and interact with one another on a global scale.

Peace of mind is a most precious resource, without which neither rich nor poor can know happiness. Yet mental health is undervalued and routinely taken for granted. Moreover, we allow war, torture, violence, poverty, d- ease, discrimination, and domestic abuse to undermine it. The wounds inflicted by these great human ills sicken the individual psyche, tear f- ilies apart, and send shock waves through society. Natural disasters, too, can cause sudden and acute trauma. Often, the damage—a chronic and relentless loss of dignity, self-esteem, and hope—is transmitted from one generation to the next: a sad and painful legacy indeed. Scientists, scholars, and medical and other professionals are seeking continuously to know more about mental health, and to apply their kno- edge. All of us, vulnerable human beings that we are, need to work together to ensure that the environment we live in is conducive to peace of mind, and free of the horrors that jeopardize mental well-being. This publication grew out of the commitment of the United Nations and others to this cause, and is the product of a series of lively meetings that the authors held at UN Headquarters with civil society groups, government officials, and United Nations staff—a dialogue that coincided with the World Health Organization's focus on mental health in 2001. I hope it will be a valuable resource for practitioners, policymakers, and United Nations field and headquarters staff wherever trauma strikes, and wherever peace of mind is threatened.

Peace of mind is a most precious resource, without which neither rich nor poor can know happiness. Yet mental health is undervalued and routinely taken for granted. Moreover, we allow war, torture, violence, poverty, d- ease, discrimination, and domestic abuse to undermine it. The wounds inflicted by these great human ills sicken the individual psyche, tear f- ilies apart, and send shock waves through society. Natural disasters, too, can cause sudden and acute trauma. Often, the damage—a chronic and relentless loss of dignity, self-esteem, and hope—is transmitted from one generation to the next: a sad and painful legacy indeed. Scientists, scholars, and medical and other professionals are seeking continuously to know more about mental health, and to apply their kno- edge. All of us, vulnerable human beings that we are, need to work together to ensure that the environment we live in is conducive to peace of mind, and free of the horrors that jeopardize mental well-being. This publication grew out of the commitment of the United Nations and others to this cause, and is the product of a series of lively meetings that the authors held at UN Headquarters with civil society groups, government officials, and United Nations staff—a dialogue that coincided with the World Health Organization's focus on mental health in 2001. I hope it will be a valuable resource for practitioners, policymakers, and United Nations field and headquarters staff wherever trauma strikes, and wherever peace of mind is threatened.

Although poverty is a global issue profoundly affecting millions of human beings, the psychology literature rarely focuses on this problem. Poverty and Psychology: From Global Perspective to Local Practice seeks to remedy that by bringing together academics, community practitioners and clinicians who are actively involved in studying the ramifications of poverty in groups and individuals as well as outlining successful methods of participant intervention. With a focus on positive and critical psychology and the resilience of the human spirit, the book brings the psychology of poverty up-to-date with current thinking and scientific approaches, and will inspire and encourage those working in the field. Covering a wide range of settings, from the shanty towns of Brazil and Venezuela to the inner cities of England and Scotland, to indigenous communities of the Australian outback, noted contributors share their direct experiences and a positive message for working toward progressive solutions.

This book is a useful resource for designing and delivering culturally responsive counseling services for international students. It introduces readers to contributions made by international students in higher education, and supplies in-depth information about the nature of cross-cultural transitions including initial entry to the host culture as well as the return home. A framework of multicultural counseling competencies is applied, case examples are provided, and the book is filled with practical information for counselors and other mental health professionals.

This volume focuses on the cultural aspects of learning and cognitive processes, examining the theory, methods, findings, and applications in this area. The chapter authors cover such topics as family context, peer interaction and formal education.

Humans are surrounded by trillions of stimuli. Their eyes, for instance, can discriminate 7,500,000 colors. But, there is a severe limitation in the number of discriminably different stimuli that they can process at one time. George Miller argued that they can handle no more than seven, plus or minus two independent pieces of information at any given time. Thus, necessarily they must develop ways to simplify the task of processing the information that exists in their environment. They do this in many ways. One way is to select the stimuli that are most imp- tant in their lives, what are often called values. Another way is to chunk stimuli by linking them to each other, so they form bundles of stimuli that can be processed as if they are one entity. Generalized expectancies of what is linked with what are beliefs, and these beliefs are structured into bundles (see Triandis, 1972).

Although forced migration is not new in human history it has become, in our time, one of the world's major problems. In the last few decades, armed conflict and political unrest have created vast numbers of asylum seekers, refugees and displaced persons. This has led, in turn to increasing involvement of professional care workers and agencies, both governmental and nongovernmental. While there is no doubt on the part of helping parties that care is necessary, there is considerable debate about the kind of care that is needed. This book presents a critical review of mental health care provisions for people who have had to leave their homeland, and explores the controversies surrounding this topic. Providing fresh perspectives on an age old problem, this book covers humanitarian aid and reconstruction programs as well as service provision in host countries. It is of interest to all those who provide health services, create policy, and initiate legislation for these populations.

The Pacific Island oceanic and rim nations include many traditional societies and emerging nations that have experienced abusive histories of colonization, exploitation, and social change and upheaval. Their peoples are struggling to restore traditional cultural heritages and identities in a world community dominated by Western values and lifestyles. The conflicts, uncertainties, and instability of this transitional time are reflected in these populations’ current social and psychological difficulties. This volume is one of the few devoted to these issues and covering a range of problems including substance abuse, hopelessness, violence, crime, abuse, juvenile delinquency, suicide, and AIDS.

Has the developing world developed modern concepts of stress? Are coping methods the same around the globe? Such questions are not simple to answer, and until recently, few knew to ask them.In recent years, Western psychologists have recognized that their prevailing views of psychology do not always translate worldwide—and that no culture has a monopoly on either stress or coping. The Handbook of Multicultural Perspectives on Stress and Coping was created to address this realization. This unique volume moves beyond simple comparisons of behaviors in other countries by clarifying critical concepts in stress and coping, analyzing and synthesizing vast amounts of global data, and identifying constructs and methodologies necessary for meaningful cross-cultural research.An international, multiethnic panel of forty-five contributors presents elegant studies of stress, survival, and resilience as cultures evolve and countries interact, including:• Personal transformation as a coping strategy• Psychological skills that enhance intercultural adjustment• Individual versus collectivist values in coping• Buddhist and Taoist traditions in coping• The cumulative effects of historical, environmental, and political stressors on nations in the Middle East• Specific cross-cultural perspectives, from Latino-American families to Canadian aboriginal peoples to minority university studentsThe editors have assembled a vital store of knowledge, raising crucial implications for clinicians working with immigrant/international populations, and evaluating the current state of theory, research, and assessment. The Handbook documents major steps toward scientific advancement—and human understanding.

It was once assumed that the bedrock concepts of psychology held true for all the world’s peoples. More recently, post-modern approaches to research have expanded on these Western models, building a psychology that takes into account the sociopolitical, historical, religious, ecological, and other indigenous factors that make every culture, as well as every person as agents of their own actions.Indigenous and Cultural Psychology surveys psychological and behavioral phenomena in native context in various developing and developed countries, with particular focus on Asia. An international team of 28 experts clarifies culture-specific concepts (such as paternalism and the Japanese concept of amae), models integrative methods of study, and dispels typical misconceptions about the field and its goals. The results reflect culturally sound frames of reference while remaining rigorous, systematic, and verifiable. These approaches provide a basis for the discovery of true psychological universals.Among the topics featured:- Scientific and philosophical bases of indigenous psychology- Comparisons of indigenous, cultural, and cross-cultural psychologies- Socialization, parent-child relationship, and family- The private and public self: concepts from East Asia, Europe, and the Americas- Interpersonal relationships: concepts from East Asia, Europe,, and the U.S.- Factors promoting educational achievement and organizational effectiveness in Asia- The growth and indigenization of psychology in developing and developed countries- Are any values, attitudes, beliefs and traits universal? Cross-national comparisons- The potential for indigenous psychology to lead to a global psychologyWith this book, the editors have captured a growing field at a crucial stage in its evolution. Indigenous and Cultural Psychology benefits students and researchers on twolevels, offering groundbreaking findings on understudied concepts, and signaling future directions in universal knowledge.

Synthesizing insights from psychiatry, social psychology, and anthropology, Voices of Trauma: Treating Survivors across Cultures sets out a framework for therapy that is as culturally informed as it is productive. An international panel of 23 therapists offers contextual knowledge on PTSD, coping skills, and other trauma sequelae as they affect survivors of traumatic events. Case studies from Egypt to Chechnya demonstrate various therapeutic approaches (and the Cultural Formation of Diagnosis from the DSM-IV), often integrated with social agencies outside the clinical setting. Authors explore the balance of inter- and intrapersonal factors in reactions to trauma, dispel misconceptions that hinder progress in treatment, and provide profound examples of mutual trust and empathy, even how the wounded may heal the therapist.Highlights of the coverage: Silence as a coping strategy: Sudanese refugee women; Individual and group identity, Western and non-Western healing: a Chinese woman in Hong Kong; Mother/infant psychotherapy with a Kosovar family; Trauma and the bicultural self: New York’s Dominican community and the crash of Flight 587; Why war? Why genocide? A social psychology theory of collective violence; Transference, countertransference, and supervisory issues in intercultural treatment.Today’s political climate has made refugee mental health a growing public health issue. Voices of Trauma gives clinical and counseling psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, rescue and social workers, the tools to create healing on a global scale.

Recent advances in trauma treatment, coupled with ongoing traumatic world events, point to a critical need for global standards in assessment. But despite the best intentions of Western psychology, one model does not fit all cultures. Cross-Cultural Assessment of Psychological Trauma and PTSD addresses key issues in the field to help fill this knowledge gap. Focusing equally on theoretical concepts, culturally valid assessment methods, and cultural adaptation in trauma and resilience, 29 experts present the cutting edge of research and strategies. Extended case examples (including West Africans in Austria, Hmong in the U.S., and Aboriginal people in Australia) illustrate an informative range of symptom profiles, comorbid conditions, and coping skills, as well as secondary traumas that can occur in asylum seekers. Professional concerns are also highlighted, from training and competency issues to the challenges of translating assessment into treatment.

Crises do not occur in cultural vacuums, but help often does. Good intentions are not enough. Lack of cultural understanding, sensitivity, and competencies can hamper and even harm the professional response to disasters. To help and heal, one must know and understand the cultural background of disaster victims. Ethnocultural Perspectives on Disaster and Trauma offers readers substantive knowledge in these three vital areas of disaster response.In this pioneering volume, experts on individual and collective trauma experience, posttraumatic stress and related syndromes, and emergency and crisis intervention – share knowledge and insights on the cultural context of working with ethnic and racial minority communities during disasters. In each chapter, emotional, psychological, and social needs as well as communal strengths and coping skills that arise in disasters are documented for major minority groups in the United States including specific chapters on African Americans, Native Americans, Arab Americans, Asian Indians, Chinese Americans, Caribbean Americans, Latin Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Vietnamese Americans. Each chapter features information on: Demographics, major historical events, and core values of each population; Important cultural insights, including communication styles, culture-specific disorders, and valid assessment instruments; Therapeutic and healing traditions versus conventional medicine and therapy; Perspectives specific to the population’s experience with disaster and trauma; Authors’ recommendations for improving services to the population; Practical appendices for readers new to the field.This unique volume is a cultural competency compendium that will increase to the effectiveness of all who respond to disasters. It will also be of interest and value to scholars, policy makers, and health professionals working in the areas of disaster management, crisis intervention, and trauma. Ethnocultural Perspectives onDisaster and Trauma points readers to what the editors call the path “beyond simple assistance to healing and the restoration of hope and meaning.”

Cultural competence is more than an admirable goal: it is an essential skill set for mental health professionals working in a diverse global society marked by crisis and trauma. It is essential for clinicians to understand the intricate mix of history and self-concept, identity and tradition that are central not only for ameliorating psychological problems but to foster psychological health and well-being. As the definition of culture takes on broader meanings-at once embracing multiple identities and increasing globalization- Cultural Competency Training in a Global Society brings a vital perspective and practical understanding to clinical, counseling, and school psychologists, as well as to graduate students entering these fields. By describing a comprehensive training model for professional education and practice in the United States with ethnic minority groups, indigenous populations, immigrants, and refugees, this book has relevance for other multicultural societies because the implications are multidisciplinary in focus and potentially international in scope. The existing and emergent global multicultural populations described in this book represent the neglected human faces of economic globalization. Among the topics covered:Requirements for professional training in cultural competency.Research basis for cultural competency training.International resources and their usage in training and practice.Multicultural assessment in the service of intervention.Evaluating cultural competency training.

Humans are surrounded by trillions of stimuli. Their eyes, for instance, can discriminate 7,500,000 colors. But, there is a severe limitation in the number of discriminably different stimuli that they can process at one time. George Miller argued that they can handle no more than seven, plus or minus two independent pieces of information at any given time. Thus, necessarily they must develop ways to simplify the task of processing the information that exists in their environment. They do this in many ways. One way is to select the stimuli that are most imp- tant in their lives, what are often called values. Another way is to chunk stimuli by linking them to each other, so they form bundles of stimuli that can be processed as if they are one entity. Generalized expectancies of what is linked with what are beliefs, and these beliefs are structured into bundles (see Triandis, 1972).

Crises do not occur in cultural vacuums, but help often does. Good intentions are not enough. Lack of cultural understanding, sensitivity, and competencies can hamper and even harm the professional response to disasters. To help and heal, one must know and understand the cultural background of disaster victims. Ethnocultural Perspectives on Disaster and Trauma offers readers substantive knowledge in these three vital areas of disaster response.In this pioneering volume, experts on individual and collective trauma experience, posttraumatic stress and related syndromes, and emergency and crisis intervention – share knowledge and insights on the cultural context of working with ethnic and racial minority communities during disasters. In each chapter, emotional, psychological, and social needs as well as communal strengths and coping skills that arise in disasters are documented for major minority groups in the United States including specific chapters on African Americans, Native Americans, Arab Americans, Asian Indians, Chinese Americans, Caribbean Americans, Latin Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Vietnamese Americans. Each chapter features information on: Demographics, major historical events, and core values of each population; Important cultural insights, including communication styles, culture-specific disorders, and valid assessment instruments; Therapeutic and healing traditions versus conventional medicine and therapy; Perspectives specific to the population’s experience with disaster and trauma; Authors’ recommendations for improving services to the population; Practical appendices for readers new to the field.This unique volume is a cultural competency compendium that will increase to the effectiveness of all who respond to disasters. It will also be of interest and value to scholars, policy makers, and health professionals working in the areas of disaster management, crisis intervention, and trauma. Ethnocultural Perspectives onDisaster and Trauma points readers to what the editors call the path “beyond simple assistance to healing and the restoration of hope and meaning.”

Cultural competence is more than an admirable goal: it is an essential skill set for mental health professionals working in a diverse global society marked by crisis and trauma. It is essential for clinicians to understand the intricate mix of history and self-concept, identity and tradition that are central not only for ameliorating psychological problems but to foster psychological health and well-being. As the definition of culture takes on broader meanings-at once embracing multiple identities and increasing globalization- Cultural Competency Training in a Global Society brings a vital perspective and practical understanding to clinical, counseling, and school psychologists, as well as to graduate students entering these fields. By describing a comprehensive training model for professional education and practice in the United States with ethnic minority groups, indigenous populations, immigrants, and refugees, this book has relevance for other multicultural societies because the implications are multidisciplinary in focus and potentially international in scope. The existing and emergent global multicultural populations described in this book represent the neglected human faces of economic globalization. Among the topics covered:Requirements for professional training in cultural competency.Research basis for cultural competency training.International resources and their usage in training and practice.Multicultural assessment in the service of intervention.Evaluating cultural competency training.

Although forced migration is not new in human history it has become, in our time, one of the world's major problems. In the last few decades, armed conflict and political unrest have created vast numbers of asylum seekers, refugees and displaced persons. This has led, in turn to increasing involvement of professional care workers and agencies, both governmental and nongovernmental. While there is no doubt on the part of helping parties that care is necessary, there is considerable debate about the kind of care that is needed. This book presents a critical review of mental health care provisions for people who have had to leave their homeland, and explores the controversies surrounding this topic. Providing fresh perspectives on an age old problem, this book covers humanitarian aid and reconstruction programs as well as service provision in host countries. It is of interest to all those who provide health services, create policy, and initiate legislation for these populations.

The Pacific Island oceanic and rim nations include many traditional societies and emerging nations that have experienced abusive histories of colonization, exploitation, and social change and upheaval. Their peoples are struggling to restore traditional cultural heritages and identities in a world community dominated by Western values and lifestyles. The conflicts, uncertainties, and instability of this transitional time are reflected in these populations’ current social and psychological difficulties. This volume is one of the few devoted to these issues and covering a range of problems including substance abuse, hopelessness, violence, crime, abuse, juvenile delinquency, suicide, and AIDS.

It was once assumed that the bedrock concepts of psychology held true for all the world’s peoples. More recently, post-modern approaches to research have expanded on these Western models, building a psychology that takes into account the sociopolitical, historical, religious, ecological, and other indigenous factors that make every culture, as well as every person as agents of their own actions.Indigenous and Cultural Psychology surveys psychological and behavioral phenomena in native context in various developing and developed countries, with particular focus on Asia. An international team of 28 experts clarifies culture-specific concepts (such as paternalism and the Japanese concept of amae), models integrative methods of study, and dispels typical misconceptions about the field and its goals. The results reflect culturally sound frames of reference while remaining rigorous, systematic, and verifiable. These approaches provide a basis for the discovery of true psychological universals.Among the topics featured:- Scientific and philosophical bases of indigenous psychology- Comparisons of indigenous, cultural, and cross-cultural psychologies- Socialization, parent-child relationship, and family- The private and public self: concepts from East Asia, Europe, and the Americas- Interpersonal relationships: concepts from East Asia, Europe,, and the U.S.- Factors promoting educational achievement and organizational effectiveness in Asia- The growth and indigenization of psychology in developing and developed countries- Are any values, attitudes, beliefs and traits universal? Cross-national comparisons- The potential for indigenous psychology to lead to a global psychologyWith this book, the editors have captured a growing field at a crucial stage in its evolution. Indigenous and Cultural Psychology benefits students and researchers on twolevels, offering groundbreaking findings on understudied concepts, and signaling future directions in universal knowledge.

Synthesizing insights from psychiatry, social psychology, and anthropology, Voices of Trauma: Treating Survivors across Cultures sets out a framework for therapy that is as culturally informed as it is productive. An international panel of 23 therapists offers contextual knowledge on PTSD, coping skills, and other trauma sequelae as they affect survivors of traumatic events. Case studies from Egypt to Chechnya demonstrate various therapeutic approaches (and the Cultural Formation of Diagnosis from the DSM-IV), often integrated with social agencies outside the clinical setting. Authors explore the balance of inter- and intrapersonal factors in reactions to trauma, dispel misconceptions that hinder progress in treatment, and provide profound examples of mutual trust and empathy, even how the wounded may heal the therapist.Highlights of the coverage: Silence as a coping strategy: Sudanese refugee women; Individual and group identity, Western and non-Western healing: a Chinese woman in Hong Kong; Mother/infant psychotherapy with a Kosovar family; Trauma and the bicultural self: New York’s Dominican community and the crash of Flight 587; Why war? Why genocide? A social psychology theory of collective violence; Transference, countertransference, and supervisory issues in intercultural treatment.Today’s political climate has made refugee mental health a growing public health issue. Voices of Trauma gives clinical and counseling psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, rescue and social workers, the tools to create healing on a global scale.

Recent advances in trauma treatment, coupled with ongoing traumatic world events, point to a critical need for global standards in assessment. But despite the best intentions of Western psychology, one model does not fit all cultures. Cross-Cultural Assessment of Psychological Trauma and PTSD addresses key issues in the field to help fill this knowledge gap. Focusing equally on theoretical concepts, culturally valid assessment methods, and cultural adaptation in trauma and resilience, 29 experts present the cutting edge of research and strategies. Extended case examples (including West Africans in Austria, Hmong in the U.S., and Aboriginal people in Australia) illustrate an informative range of symptom profiles, comorbid conditions, and coping skills, as well as secondary traumas that can occur in asylum seekers. Professional concerns are also highlighted, from training and competency issues to the challenges of translating assessment into treatment.

Human mobility has been a defining feature of human social evolution. In a global community, the term "mobility" captures the full gamut of types, directions, and patterns of human movement. The psychology of mobility is important because movement is inherently behavioral. Much of the behavioral study of mobility has focused on the negative – examining the trauma of forced migration, or the health consequences of the lack of adaptation – but this work looks into the benefits of mobility, such as its impact on career capital and well-being. Recent years have witnessed a phenomenal increase in efforts to understand human mobility, by social scientists, think-tanks, and policymakers alike. The book focuses on the transformational potential of mobility for human development. The book details the historical, methodological, and theoretical trajectory of human mobility (Context), followed by sections on pre-departure incentives and predispositions (Motivation), influences on acculturation, health and community fit (Adjustment), and changes in career capital, overcoming bias, and diaspora networks (Performance).

With the emergence of positive psychology in the West, and the many fold discovery of the impact of psychology in one’s life, there is a need to understand spirituality, and to use its positive aspects to maintain a balance in hectic modern life. This book presents models for mapping basic psychological processes and their relationships. It covers basic constructs like cognition, emotion, behavior, desires, creativity, as well as applied topics like personal happiness, intercultural conflict handling, and world peace.

Climate change is increasing the severity of disasters and adverse weather conditions worldwide, with particularly devastating effects on developing countries and on individuals with lower resources. Climate change is likely to impact mental health and psychosocial well-being via multiple pathways, leading to new challenges. Direct effects such as gradual environmental changes, higher temperatures, and natural disasters, are likely to lead to more indirect consequences such as social and economic stressors, population displacement, and conflict. Climate change, largely the product of industrialized nations, is projected to magnify existing inequalities and to impact the most vulnerable, including those with low resources, individuals living in developing countries and specific populations such as women, children and those with pre-existing disabilities. This book outlines areas of impact on human well being, consider specific populations, and shed light on mitigating the impact of climate change. Recommendations discuss ways of strengthening community resilience, building on local capacities, responding to humanitarian crises, as well as conducting research and evaluation projects in diverse settings.