University News

For immediate release

March 19, 2012, SHERBROOKE, QC— Bishop’s University is hosting the 34th edition of the Société québécoise pour la recherche en psychologie (SQRP) conference from March 23-25 at the Delta Hotel in Sherbrooke. Over 300 psychology researchers are expected. 

The main event of this conference is the opening symposium on “the state of mental health in Quebec”, scheduled to begin at 17:45 on March 23rd. This intersectorial symposium moderated by Quebec Chief Scientist, Rémi Quirion, will include panelists representing various stakeholder perspectives and drawn from the governmental, academic, public, and community sectors.

“We aimed at bringing together panelists that don’t often have the chance to discuss this topic face to face while giving voice to those with lived experience of mental illness and recovery”, says Claude Charpentier, Bishop’s psychology professor and president of the conference’s organizing committee. “Is Quebec a ‘distinct society’ when it comes to the state of mental health of its population? Are we proactive about mental health and well-being in Quebec? Does mental health research have pragmatic value by truly addressing Quebecers’ needs? Where are we headed and what is at stake? We are hoping to answer some of these questions and to identify promising research leads.”

Psychological Health and Well-being is one of the four research priorities recently established by Bishop’s University. The research cluster’s director, Canada Research Chair Fuschia Sirois adds: “when most people think of mental health, they are in fact thinking of disease. We need to take a larger view of what mental health is and to stop defining it as the absence of psychosis or depression. In the same vein, we need to develop a much more preventive approach that starts by looking at the life choices we make.”

The symposium will be followed by a welcome cocktail for all delegates.

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