Saturday 25 July 09:50
- 11:20
Hall: 20 - Room 17 SPT
Chair and Presenter:
Sanchez Cesareo Marizaida
Discussant:
Carrizo Luis
Division: Division 3: Psychology and Societal Development
This symposium brings together five interrelated initiatives designed to address systemic determinants of health and well-being in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory where colonial legacies and structural inequities have perpetuated disparities in child mental health, education, poverty, and access to services. Grounded in findings from the ComPASS needs assessment across 21 municipalities, the contributions demonstrate how applied psychology, when combined with interdisciplinary collaboration, can generate structural solutions that enhance equity, reduce inequalities, and strengthen resilience. The novelty of this symposium lies in integrating structural interventions, predictive analytics, sustainability frameworks, collective impact strategies, and data equity practices to confront entrenched disparities. This approach reflects the Congress theme by:
Emerging Fields: Harnessing AI and machine learning to predict mental health vulnerability.
Transdisciplinary Approaches: Bridging psychology, public health, data science, and policy.
Societal Applications: Implementing multilevel interventions to eradicate poverty and improve child well-being.
Trust: Rebuilding hope, responsibility, and democratic values through community-driven collaboration.
Each presentation provides a unique lens: (1) a structural intervention co-designed with communities to strengthen parental capacity, workforce practices, and prevention; (2) a Mental Health Vulnerability Index that applies machine learning and AI to multisectoral data; (3) the application of the Collective Impact Model to align 70+ stakeholders in building sustainable multisectoral infrastructures; (4) a contextual sustainability model linking funding strategies to science-policy engagement; and (5) the expansion of a community-driven Data Hub to foster equitable maternal and child health practices. Together, these contributions illustrate how psychology can drive systemic change by integrating science, policy, and community voices to address persistent inequities. Lessons learned in Puerto Rico offer a replicable framework for other settings where systemic fragmentation undermines access to care and long-term well-being.
