Global lessons, local impact: applying what I learnt during the Wolfson Summer School to my research in Indonesia

My name is Wiwit Puspitasari Dewi, I’m a lecturer at the Faculty of Psychology in Universitas Pelita Harapan and a clinical psychologist interested in young people’s mental health in Indonesia. I’m currently preparing to continue my studies for a doctoral degree, so I followed the Wolfson Centre for Young People’s Mental Health’s social media account to get some updates about the current research on young people.

When I found out that there would be an online Wolfson Centre Summer School in 2024, I was so excited to apply. Since I live far away from Cardiff, I knew this would be a great opportunity for me to engage with various experts from reputable institutions in mental health research and enhance my knowledge about how I can help young people through research.

Due to the time difference between the UK and Indonesia, some of the sessions happened during my work and commute hours. However, I was still able to attend the sessions as the online platform can be easily accessed via phone. The Wolfson Centre also provided a link to a Padlet, and the resources and speaker slides were updated quickly. It was really helpful to get up-to-date materials from all the sessions.

The three days of the summer school were like a storm for me, in a positive way. I felt like I got a lot of information, ideas, and insights about research in young people’s mental health that could be applied in Indonesia. However, seeing many experienced researchers from around the world made me realise that there was space for me to improve my research skills and contribute to this global community.

Since I am currently exploring digital interventions for young people’s mental health, the session with Dr Rhys Bevan-Jones caught my interest the most. This session inspired me to continue exploring more about the potential of digital intervention for young people’s mental health in Indonesia. I was happy to have the opportunity to ask some questions that popped into my mind during the session. The virtual coffee session was a great opportunity that provided a networking opportunity between attendees and speakers.

This summer school was a valuable programme for me because it allowed me to see research outside of my country and pushed me to keep going with my own projects. I gained so much knowledge during the programme and will recommend it to my colleagues so they can join the next summer school.

Thank you so much to Wiwit for sharing her experience with us.

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