The American Psychological Association (APA) is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States, with over 133,000 members, including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students. It has 54 divisions—interest groups for different subspecialties of psychology or topical areas. The APA has an annual budget of around $115m.
Climate change threatens mental health through acute and chronic stressors. Vulnerable groups-especially children and people with disabilities-face increased risks due to developmental and structural inequities. Most mental health systems, built for individual care, lack capacity to address climate-related distress. This commentary outlines key mental health pathways and calls for a population-based approach. We highlight climate anxiety among youth and gaps in including neurodiverse populations in research and planning. Culturally grounded strategies-such as school-based support, community engagement, and integrating lived experience into policy-build resilience. We call for collaboration and evaluation of interventions aimed at addressing climate distress through community-driven systems.
QuestionWhat is the impact on weight, body mass index (BMI, calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared), and fitness of a 6-month weight loss program tailored for obese veterans with serious mental illness (SMI)?FindingsIn this randomized clinical trial involving 256 veterans, compared to usual care, program participants reduced their weight and BMI, but not cardiorespiratory fitness, at 6 months. Weight loss of 7% of body weight or greater (22.6% vs 8.2%) was significant; mean weight loss (7.1 vs 3.5 lb), BMI (1.1 vs 0.5), and 5% or greater weight loss (36.6% vs 22.4%) were nonsignificant but clinically meaningful.MeaningWeight loss programs tailored to those with SMI could reduce obesity common to this population. ImportanceVeterans with serious mental illness (SMI) experience a higher prevalence of obesity than the general veteran population; weight loss programs are needed that are tailored to this population.ObjectiveTo evaluate a weight loss program, CoachToFit (CTF), which includes weekly calls from a Veteran Health Administration peer specialist, a Bluetooth-enabled scale and fitness tracker, and a smartphone application that provides health education and tracks steps, goals, and weight.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis randomized clinical trial was conducted within the Pittsburgh Veteran Affairs health care system and presents pre-post (6 months) analysis comparing CTF and usual care. Veterans with body mass index (BMI, calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) of 30 or higher and diagnosis of major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia were eligible for inclusion. Exclusion criteria included history of bariatric surgery or recent psychiatric hospitalization. The study was conducted from October 1, 2020, to September 30, 2025, and data analysis was conducted from January to October 2025.ExposureRandom assignment to CTF.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe primary outcomes were weight (in kg), BMI, and cardiorespiratory fitness (meters walked in 6 minutes).ResultsAmong the sample (n = 256), mean (SD) age was 53.5 (13.1) years, 80 participants (31.3%) were female, and 199 (77.7%) were diagnosed with major depressive disorder. Mean (SD) weight loss at 6 months was -3.2 (6.2) kg in the CTF group (n = 128) compared to -1.6 (4.9) kg in the usual care group (P = .05). After adjustment, participants in CTF experienced greater, nonsignificant weight loss compared to usual care, with an adjusted mean difference (AMD) of -1.62 kg (95% CI, -3.38 to 0.14; P = .07). For BMI, the AMD in change between groups at 6 months was -0.56 (95% CI, -1.15 to 0.03; P = .06). Change in meters walked was not statistically significant between groups, with an AMD of 3.53 m (95% CI, -12.87 to 19.92; P = .67). At 6 months, 34 participants (36.6%) from the CTF group lost 5% or more of their body weight compared to 19 (22.4%) in usual care, representing a 1.93-fold greater likelihood in adjusted analyses (95% CI, 0.96-3.91; P = .07). More participants in CTF (n = 21 [22.6%]) lost 7% or more of their body weight compared to usual care (n = 7 [8.2%]), representing a 3.9-fold greater likelihood in adjusted analyses (95% CI, 1.45-10.36; P = .007).Conclusions and RelevanceIn this randomized clinical trial, a weight loss program tailored to veterans with SMI using remote technologies and paraprofessionals demonstrated the potential to help this population lose weight.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04560335 This randomized clinical trial evaluates the effectiveness of a 6-month weight loss program tailored to those with serious mental illness that includes peer specialist coaching, a fitness tracker, and a smartphone application.
يهدف هذا البحث إلى دراسة PERMA Profiler وتكييفه لفحص معدلات الصدق والثبات كأداة قياس ذات خمسة أبعاد باللغة العربية. تكونت مجموعة الدراسة من 452 طالبًا دولياً في الجامعات التركية وأيضاً طلاب جامعة عدن-اليمن في الفترة ما بين فبراير- يوليو 2024، حيث تم تطبيق المنهج الكمي عند جمع وتحليل بيانات البحث. أظهرت نتائج البحث أنPERMA Profile بصيغته العربية يُعد أداة قياس صالحة وموثوقة لاستخدامها في البحوث العلمية العربية. وعند تحليل العامل التأكيدي، لوحظ أن نماذج المستوى الأول والمستوى الثاني توفر ملاءمة مقبولة. بالإضافة إلى ذلك، تم حساب معامل ثبات الاتساق الداخلي للمقياس (0.91.)، ووجد أن معامل ارتباط إعادة الاختبار للمقياس هو (0.88) للمقياس بأكمله. أيضاً أظهرت الارتباطات الإيجابية بين أداة القياس بيرما ومعاملات الرضا عن الحياة والسعادة الذاتية أن درجة صدق المقياس المتعلقة بالمعايير تُعد أيضاً مقبولة.
Consistent with a social-ecological framework, there is an urgent need to shift psychological science from an individual focus to one that addresses population-level health and mental health. Population health research necessitates transdisciplinary collaboration as well as advances in theory, methods, and analytic approaches to address the complex and interrelated determinants of human health. This commentary introduces a new monthly series in Health Psychology that will offer a critical perspective on contemporary issues and topics relevant to health psychology and the public. Our intent is to contribute to a deeper understanding of health, inspire innovative research, and ultimately improve health at the population level. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) continues to impact higher education, providing an unprecedented opportunity to further increase the value of the psychology major. We emphasize AI proficiency as an essential and valuable skill for the psychology major and focus on purposeful and ethical integration into the established curriculum. We expand on the valuable American Psychological Association resources, including The Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major 3.0 , The Principles for Quality Undergraduate Education in Psychology , and The Skillful Psychology Student . Each resource addresses the value of information and skills learned with a psychology bachelor's degree, enabling students to excel in a wide variety of career choices beyond traditional psychology applications. To continue effectively preparing students for their chosen careers, we propose that AI proficiency is a critical component for students moving forward as the workforce demands AI mastery.
