Ateneo organizes lecture on mental health

THE Ateneo de Manila University will hold a professorial chair lecture titled “Mental Health for and with the People” on Nov. 19, 2019 at the Faber Hall Function Room inside Ateneo’s Loyola Heights campus.

This as in today’s global health landscape, mental health challenges continue to rise. According to 2019 data from the World Health Organization, one person dies from suicide every 40 seconds. Despite the uptick, a discussion on mental health care remains plagued with stigma and misinformation.

The Ateneo lecture on mental health seeks to help increase awareness and open doors for collaboration in creating mental health interventions.

Organized by the Loyola Schools

Research and Creative Work and the University Research Council, the lecture will be delivered by Dr. Ma. Regina Hechanova-Alampay.

A psychologist and a full-time professor at the Psychology department of the Ateneo de Manila’s Loyola Schools, Hechanova-Alampay

will talk about her journey in developing community-based mental health. Drawing inspiration from her experience in collaborating with other disciplines in developing innovative solutions, she will discuss the processes and challenges involved in creating evidence-based community interventions.

Hechanova-Alampay is currently the executive director of the Ateneo Center for Research and Organization Development. A

professional, she is also the chief of party to the USAid RenewHealth Project on Expanding Access to Community Based Drug Rehabilitation in the Philippines. She has previously held the position of president for the Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP) and chairman for PAP Special Interest Group on Substance Use Prevention and Recovery. She was also the lead researcher in the development of community-based interventions for disaster survivors and recovering drug users in the Philippines.

For her work as a psychologist,

Hechanova-Alampay has received many accolades, including Outstanding Young Scientist by the National Academy of Science and Technology in 2005, Outstanding Women in Nation’s Service in 2010 and the 2018 Outstanding Professional in Psychology by the Professional

Regulatory Commission.

The Professorial Chair Lectures started in 2015. The lectures are aimed to contribute to scholarly research and pedagogical innovations.

Register for the lecture at bit.do/ hechanova2019.