During the recent OPA Annual Conference, our Public Education Committee offered a presentation to share about our work and how things have changed in recent years. Here we offer a continuation of that discussion. Why is it that we as a profession and we as individuals have the need to reach out? 

Certainly as we build our careers and practices we know the importance of networking and getting our name out there, letting people know what we have to offer. As a profession, we are bound by ethical guidelines and responsibilities to protect the public, implying a mandate to seek out ways we can be of service and promote equity. Public education is a wonderful and comprehensive way to address the process from “individual career success and publication impact to a collaborative multidirectional ecosystem for societal impact,” as suggested by Kools et al. (2018, p. 3). We advocate and educate to support mental health awareness and destigmatization, social justice, improved health outcomes, and ethical dissemination of psychological research. How do we reach out? Historically, beginning with published research, articles and books, teaching and lectures, we evolved and added public media formats like television and radio. Key factors for success required networking with public media sources, building relationships to enhance communication, and gaining opportunities for presentations offered in a timely fashion. 

As we are well into 2021, an important way to reach the public has been through social media. Keeping in mind that we are bound by our ethics and psychological science, Kools et al. (2018) explained that scientific journals and research are both the gatekeepers for what we may disseminate and a great source of material worth sharing. Why social media? Social media platforms are widely used and reach more people, including those who are harder to reach in person. Social media disseminates knowledge faster than traditional methods and has been shown to boost research citations. Social media also facilitates networking among researchers, clinicians, and consumers. According to Dijkstra et al. (2018), an added value to our use of social media is the opportunity to counter ‘Fake News.’ 

Another way of connecting the public with psychological science is through direct community outreach. Consider what communities you already have rapport with or communities you hope to advocate for through shared learning and collaboration. For example, the Public Education Committee has partnered with community organizations such as the YMCA, NAMI, and Rotary to offer psychoeducational events, and covered topics such as “Tips for managing pandemic stress” and “Brain health and wellness.” We have also partnered with community organizations (e.g., “Dial a Smile” and “Conversaciones con los Abuelos”) to support social connection among older adults through senior-student check-in calls. Our modalities have adapted during COVID-19 to include virtual presentations, outdoor events, and digital sharing of materials and resources. 

An important factor to recall is that we are bound by the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (American Psychological Association [APA], 2017) and must remain within our scope of education, training, and practice when sharing mental health information. As we aspire to withhold the principles and practice in congruence with the ethical guidelines, and to actively support the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) community, we are reminded to reach out, connect and learn, and be both accessible and transparent in our communication. 

Connect with us!
Instagram@opapubliceducationcommittee
Facebook@opapec
www.opa.org/public-education-committee

References

American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct (2002, amended effective June 1, 2010, and January 1, 2017). https://www.apa.org/ethics/code/ 

Dijkstra, S., Kok, G., Ledford, J. G., Sandalova, E., & Stevelink, R. (2018). Possibilities and pitfalls of social media for translational medicine. Frontiers in Medicine. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2018.00345 

Kools, F. R. W., Mirali, S., Holst-Bernal, S., Nijhof, S. L., Cavalli, G., & Grandner, M. A. (2018). Publications are not the finish line: Focusing on societal rather than publication impact.  Frontiers in Medicine. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2018.00314