1. Purpose of the Contest
This contest aims to assess undergraduate psychology students’ ability to analyse a psychological case and design an ethical, theory-based, and feasible mental health intervention program based on a standardized case provided by the judges.
2. Eligibility Requirements
2.1 Academic Status
Open to undergraduate (Bachelor’s degree) students majoring in psychology.
Participants must be actively enrolled at an accredited university at the time of the competition.
2.2 Group Participation
- Participation is mandatory in groups.
- Each group must consist of 3–5 undergraduate psychology students.
- All members must meet eligibility requirements.
- A student may only participate in one group.
2.3 Academic Supervision
- Each group must have one academic supervisor (psychology lecturer or faculty member).
- The supervisor acts as an academic advisor only and may not design or write the intervention plan.
- Supervisors are not considered competition participants.
3. Case-Based Intervention Task
3.1 Case Provision
- All groups will receive the same psychological case, prepared and distributed by the panel of judges or organizing committee.
- The case may include:
- Background information
- Presenting problems
- Psychosocial context
- Relevant constraints (e.g., age, setting, resources)
3.2 Contest Task
- Based on the given case, each group must develop a mental health intervention program plan, not an actual treatment implementation.
- Groups are not allowed to modify the core facts of the case, but may state reasonable assumptions if clearly justified.
4. Scope of the Intervention Program
The intervention plan must be appropriate for the competency level of undergraduate psychology students, such as:
- Psychoeducation programs
- Preventive or promotive mental health interventions
- Early intervention support programs
- School-, campus-, or community-based interventions
- Structured supportive intervention frameworks
- Restrictions:
- The intervention is conceptual and programmatic, not real clinical practice.
- Undergraduate students must not present themselves as independent therapists or clinicians.
- Pharmacological or highly specialized clinical treatments are not allowed.
5. Ethical Standards
- All submissions must demonstrate awareness of basic psychological ethics, including:
- Respect for client dignity and diversity
- Cultural sensitivity
- Non-maleficence (do no harm)
- Recognition of professional boundaries and limitations
- The case provided is for academic competition purposes only.
- Any additional case examples must be fictional or fully anonymized.
- Violations of ethical standards will result in disqualification.
6. Intervention Plan Requirements
Each group must submit an Intervention Program Plan containing the following sections:
- Case summary (based only on the provided case)
- Identification of key psychological problems
- Theoretical or conceptual framework
- Rationale for the chosen intervention approach
- Clear intervention objectives
- Description of intervention program:
- Format (individual/group/class-based, etc.)
- Session or activity structure
- Duration and setting
- Role of psychology students and boundaries of competence
- Expected outcomes
- Basic evaluation or monitoring plan
- Ethical considerations
- References
7. Originality and Academic Integrity
- All intervention plans must be original group work.
- Plagiarism or inappropriate copying of existing programs is prohibited.
- Sources must be properly cited according to academic standards.
- Any permitted use of AI tools must be transparently acknowledged.
8. Disqualification Criteria
- Groups may be disqualified if they:
- Do not meet eligibility or group requirements
- Fail to base their intervention on the provided case
- Propose interventions beyond undergraduate competence
- Violate ethical or academic integrity standards
- Submit incomplete or late materials
9. Presentation and Question & Answer Session
- Each group will be given 15 minutes to present their mental health intervention program.
- Followed by 10 minutes of a question-and-answer session with the judges.
- Groups are responsible for managing their presentation time. Exceeding the allotted time may result in score deductions.
10. Final Provisions
- Judges’ decisions are final and binding.
- The organizing committee reserves the right to clarify or revise rules if necessary.
