Global connections: highlights from the American Psychological Association Convention

This August, I had the joy of attending the APA2024 convention for the second time.

Set against the stunning backdrop of Seattle’s Puget Sound, the event, hosted by the American Psychological Association (APA) and dubbed the “world’s largest and most diverse psychology event”, brought together over 10,000 psychologists from around the world for three days of learning, networking, and inspiration. With an impressive line-up of over 900 sessions and events spanning a wide range of psychological topics, it was a real treasure trove of research, trends, and innovations shaping the future of our field. 

Highlights of the APA Convention

Headline events centred around the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on mental health care, ethical practices, and research.

Sessions focused on AI’s role in enhancing clinical practice while addressing ethical considerations like equity and manipulation, underscoring the need for proper training for psychologists. Other mainstage themes included combatting loneliness, safeguarding public health in the misinformation era, understanding the psychological effects of immigration, and navigating ethical challenges in a digital age.

This year’s APA Lifetime Achievement Award went to UCL-based psychologist Terrie Moffitt for her pioneering research on antisocial behaviour and her work on gene-environment interactions in mental disorders, in collaboration with Avshalom Caspi.

Embracing AI: Opportunities, Challenges, and Ethical Considerations in Psychology

Numerous sessions were dedicated to the transformative impact of AI on psychology. Last year, the focus was on whether AI would threaten our jobs, raising fears about its potential to replace human expertise. This year the conversation shifted to a more proactive stance: let’s own it and contribute. AI is not only streamlining administrative tasks, but examples were provided on how it is starting to enhance mental health equity and improve access to care by lowering barriers to entry.

While AI might seem like a recent disruptor we have been using it in various forms for some time. The APA Ethics Committee presented critical discussions on the ethical challenges AI poses, such as ensuring equity, preventing manipulation, and addressing potential harms. They used vignettes to illustrate AI-related dilemmas psychologists may face, whether in education, applied practice, or research, employing a structured ethical decision-making framework known as the “five bins” (legal, ethical, clinical risk management, social, and cultural considerations) to navigate these issues.

Dr. Jessica Jackson, chair of the APA Mental Health Technology Advisory Committee, emphasised the important role psychologists must play in guiding AI’s development. She underscored the importance of obtaining proper training to critically evaluate and responsibly use AI, ensuring it aligns with our ethical standards and enhances, rather than replaces, human expertise.

While AI can significantly support our work—from administrative tasks to drafting treatment plans, and even detecting mental health issues by scanning an individual’s social media and improving mental health equity—it cannot replicate the nuanced human skills of a psychologist. Psychologists are uniquely positioned to shape the future of AI in psychology, leveraging our expertise in cognition, emotion, and human behaviour to ensure its responsible and effective integration. The APA statement on artificial intelligence covers some of the ethical considerations and policies surrounding AI.

Tackling Loneliness and Rebuilding Connection

Another key theme was the pervasive issue of loneliness in the Western world—a powerful feeling of isolation that, like hunger or thirst, serves as a biological alarm, signalling a need to restore social bonds. It was argued that addressing loneliness could create ripple effects of healing, helping to mitigate society’s biggest challenges, from mental health struggles and addiction to political division. Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a psychology and neuroscience professor at Brigham Young University, emphasised that social disconnection impacts not only individuals but also entire communities, with effects visible across sectors including education and the economy.

The convention provided plenty of real-world examples of how psychologists are paving the way forward with approaches that support both individuals and communities in fostering meaningful connections. Dr. Ramani Durvasula stressed the importance of relationship quality over quantity, noting that many people feel isolated despite having social networks. Dr. Marisa Franco shared insights on the “liking gap”—the tendency to underestimate how much others like us—which can hold people back from making connections. Her advice was to “be brave” in initiating friendships, highlighting her niece’s reflection that “for friendship to happen, someone has to be brave.”

Loneliness also has critical implications for our young children, with clear evidence that reduced social impact during formative years is leading to long-term health consequences. Many tools designed to help individuals cope with isolation may inadvertently reinforce it, creating a cycle of disconnection that can be difficult to break.

Exploring Deeper Layers of Emotional Wellbeing in Diverse Youth

I attended a workshop titled ‘Nurturing Resilience & Connection: Healing Intergenerational Trauma in Children of Immigrants’, led by Kini Chang and Melanie Lei. This session resonated personally and professionally, providing an added perspective for those of us working routinely with children who experience low-level mental health difficulties and understanding additional nuances that may arise when supporting children from ethnic minority backgrounds, where cultural and intergenerational factors play a role. Beginning with a look at intergenerational and historical trauma, the session highlighted how cultural and familial histories subtly shape young people’s mental health, particularly for those from immigrant backgrounds who often navigate unique cultural and systemic challenges.

The presenters introduced the Cultural Evolution Grid, a tool for understanding the layers of cultural inheritance, environmental stressors like migration or conflict, and family adaptations that impact a young person’s experiences. This framework facilitates exploration of the broader context of each child’s story and recognises factors that may contribute to mental health difficulties in ways that aren’t immediately visible.

For my work as an EP, this workshop provided ideas for exploring deeper layers behind feelings of low mood when working with children and young people who identify as being from an ethnic minority background.

Three Key Takeaways from the Convention

Global Connections and Shared Experiences

Every good conference has the potential to reignite our professional passion, and the APA achieves this with a global perspective. It offers opportunities to connect with international colleagues who share similar professional experiences, helping us recognise that the societal changes we observe locally are part of a broader, global shift.

The experience of meeting international peers sparks moments of, “Oh, you too? What do you do about it?” And it’s not every day you bump into a Comparative Psychologist working with dolphins! For UK colleagues, I’d encourage considering the APA Convention as a platform to share, whether via poster sessions or leading workshops. It’s a great experience for widening our professional scope.

AI in Psychology: Opportunity or Disconnect?

The advancements in AI brought fascinating yet complex discussions about its place in psychology. AI is streamlining our workflows and simplifying admin, but its use in mental health support, like chatbots providing low-level interventions or changes in the way our children learn, raises deeper questions. Are we unintentionally fuelling a disconnect as technology grows? The fact is, AI will continue to influence most facets of our field, and it deserves a more structured platform for debate here in the UK, particularly around ethics and the specific role of AI in educational psychology

Combatting Disconnect: Rekindling Community and Connection

Amid discussions on AI and social trends, the ripple effects of disconnect on children’s wellbeing really struck me. With so many of us living in our own “screen worlds,” we see a need to reconnect families and communities—something rooted in community psychology.

As Educational Psychologists, we’re well-positioned to advocate for more community-centred approaches, encouraging parents and children and even neighbours to spend quality time together in a world often dominated by technology. Though we’re up against wider systems that don’t inherently foster togetherness, it’s a challenge we’re equipped to understand and address.

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