Invitation

Dear colleagues, friends and associates,

It is my great honor and pleasure to announce the 4th international scientific conference of the Psychology Department at the Catholic University of Croatia entitled “Changing Life Circumstances – Opportunity for Individual and Community Growth”, which is taking place from December 7 to December 9, 2023 at the Catholic University of Croatia.

The main subject of the gathering arises from the recognition of major global and local changes (for example, the pandemic and remote work, war and migration, demographic changes, economic difficulties and inequalities, climate change and pollution, violence and terrorism, digitalization) as the main challenge of today and one of the significant causes of anxiety for the modern man. The 4th international scientific conference is an opportunity to share scientific and professional knowledge about how psychology and psychologists as scientists and experts can effectively help individuals and the community to deal with changes that have affected a large number of areas of each individual’s life. In addition to finding the most effective adaptation strategies to a world that is constantly changing enormously, the tendency is to change the perspective and present major changes not only as a problem, but also as an incentive and opportunity for the growth and development of the individual and the community in a positive direction. We are interested in how individuals and communities face and adapt to social changes and crises, and what are their experiences and responses to the aforementioned global and social changes. We will investigate risk and protective factors for the individual’s adaptation to new unstable circumstances and living conditions, and we will especially focus on the adaptation of vulnerable groups to current changes. Also, we are interested in the biological response and general physical health in changing life circumstances. We will deal with the development of diseases and psychopathology and work on the prevention of negative outcomes of unstable life circumstances, but we want to show and explore how stressful events can also be an opportunity for personal growth and development. We will look at the adaptation of the individual and the community to changes in education and the world of work, as well as the adaptation of family dynamics and the general family context in new circumstances. We emphasize the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to psychological health and well-being when dealing with non-normative life events in different periods of life, especially in the field of counseling and psychotherapy. Representations and perceptions of global and local changes and new living conditions in the media and all other related topics are also a subject of our interest.

In their daily professional and scientific work, in addition to psychologists, experts in related and other professions, such as psychiatrists, pediatricians, neurologists, oncologists, neurosurgeons, occupational therapists, speech therapists, social workers, nurses, social pedagogues, rehabilitators, but also journalists and other communication experts, also encounter these topics in their daily professional and scientific work.

Therefore, we invite you to register as a participant in our fourth scientific-expert meeting, even if you have another interesting topic, irrespective of the main topics of our gathering.

Your participation can be active through thematic symposia, oral or poster presentations, round tables, workshops or some other forms of work. If you just want to hear new scientific and professional knowledge in the field of psychology and related sciences, we invite you to come to our University to listen to all the topics that interest you. Throughout the three conferences so far, it has been shown that our gatherings are a place where we can exchange our knowledge and contribute to the further development of interdisciplinary cooperation, but also that they are a place for pleasant socializing during coffee breaks, welcome receptions and formal dinners. We want as many experts from Croatia and abroad as possible to participate in the gathering, and for our University to once again be a space for interpersonal connections, exchange of experiences and examples of good practice, as well as new scientific and professional knowledge.

We especially invite students from our, as well as other universities from Croatia and abroad, to actively join us in organizing a student section in which they will present their expert and/or scientific work that they have carried out on their own during their studies or under the mentorship of their professors.

On behalf of the Program and Organization Committee of the 4th international scientific conference, I invite you to come to Zagreb and the Catholic University of Croatia. For those who have already been to our gatherings before, I do not need to emphasize the wonderful Christmas mood in Zagreb, which you can experience if you become part of our scientific and professional community, at least for a short time during the time of our gathering.

We are expecting you in Zagreb on December 7, 8 and 9, 2023 and we are looking forward to your arrival.

President of the Program Committee of the meeting
Ljiljana Pačić-Turk, Ph.D.