Nadine J Zlaket and Elias A Rahme
Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Lebanon
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Psychol Psychother
Statement of the Problem: Lebanon has experienced traumatizing wars since 1975, compelling healthcare professionals to devote more attention to mental health care, so as to ensure a better quality of life. However, practice is still at a basic level. Doctors without borders organization have revealed a lack of psychological and mental health care practices in Lebanon, following its intervention during the 2006 war. Furthermore, mental well-being which falls within the realm of community psychology - a discipline which was developed in the U.S. and later spread to Europe-requires psychologists to apply their knowledge in society and communities. Yet, practitioner intervention in the Lebanese social context remains quite limited. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: The present study is devoted to the concept of mental health - a major concern of society and various fields of science such as psychology and sociology, philosophy - with a focus on the criteria involved in achieving development and growth: global life satisfaction, wellbeing, self-esteem and resilience. The complementarity of physical and mental health is also highlighted, as human beings need to be studied as a whole entity. In addition, we focus on the need to promote the quality of life of individuals and their communities in a societal framework. The basic concepts of community psychology are discussed, followed by a survey undertaken amongst 60 young Lebanese participants in order to study the various factors involved in mental health. Findings: Our survey findings and statistical data analysis have shown that 93.5% of young Lebanese have not received adequate education in the mental health field, nor have they received any community-based psychological intervention. Conclusion & Significance: Results show that, by bolstering one�s self-confidence, well-being, resilience, problem solving abilities and social skills, in this context our role is to contribute to the prevention of certain mental health problems.
Nadine J Zlaket is a Doctor of Clinical Psychology. She is Head of the Department of Psychology at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) in Lebanon since 2013; and she is also the Director of the PSYCHE Laboratory of the USEK Department of Psychology. Her research area focuses on Adolescence. She is the author of the book, “Pour une Adolescence Saine” (For a Healthy Teen).
Email: nadinezalaket@usek.edu.lb
