Held Scientific-professional conference with international participation "Psychological and spiritual protection and support in crisis situations"

On February 24, 2021, the Islamic Pedagogical Faculty of the University of Zenica organized a one-day scientific-professional conference with international participation "Psychological and spiritual protection and support in crisis situations" on the occasion of the initiation of the procedure for establishing the Department of Psychology. The conference was held live (in the large hall of the Faculty with respect to epidemiological measures) and online via the zoom application (for participants from abroad and participants who could not participate live due to epidemiological reasons).

The patron of the Conference was reisu-l-ulema of the Islamic community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, dr. Hussein ef. Kavazović, and the sponsor of the Conference was the Directorate for Education and Science of the Rijaset Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The leaders of the Conference project were prof. Ph.D. Izet Pehlić and prof. Ph.D. Anela Hasanagić.

The goal of the conference project was to point out the preventive aspect of psychological and spiritual empowerment of society and individuals for adequate coping with crisis situations, and highlight the role of psychotherapy techniques and spirituality in protecting and supporting people in crisis life situations.

Scientific research findings unequivocally confirm that the strength of faith and the spiritual strength of an individual have a preventive role and are a strengthening factor in crisis situations and life challenges that an individual faces. Also, psychology has given rise to a series of prevention programs and psychotherapy techniques that are in the function of strengthening the protective factors of the individual in facing challenges, and support and treatment of people who have difficulties in their overall functioning in stressful life situations.

Scientists and researchers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia and Switzerland participated in the Conference.

THEMATIC DOMAINS OF THE CONFERENCE:

- INTRODUCTORY PRINCIPLES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SPIRITUAL SUPPORT FOR HEALTHY INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS - Prof. Ph.D. Šimun Šito Ćorić

- SPIRITUAL STRENGTH AS A PREVENTIVE FACTOR IN FACING PERSONS WITH CRISIS SITUATIONS - Prof. Ph.D. Halil Mehtic

- BELIEVING IN GOD MAKES PEOPLE MORE RESILIENT - Prof. Ph.D. Josip Bošnjaković and Assoc. Ph.D. sc. Dear Partridge

- THE INFLUENCE OF BELIEFS ON MENTAL STABILITY - Prof. Ph.D. Zuhdija Adilović

- TESAVUF AS THE ORIGIN OF DIFFERENT PSYCHOTHERAPY TECHNIQUES ON THE EXAMPLE OF MESNEVIA - Prof. Ph.D. Sedad Dizdarević

– EMPIRICAL EVALUATION OF THE QUALITY OF THE ISLAMIC COMMUNITY'S REACTION TO THE CRISIS SITUATION CAUSED BY THE COVID-19 VIRUS – Prof. Ph.D. Muharem Adilović

- THE ROLE OF PSYCHOLOGISTS IN THE MEDIA DURING CRISIS SITUATIONS - Dr. Remzija Šetić

- THE INFLUENCE OF THE PANDEMIC ON FAMILY VIOLENCE - Dr. Sabiha Husić

- INSIGHTS OF THE CONCEPT OF RESILIENCE OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE FOR FACING COVID-19 - Assoc. Ph.D. Azemina Maglić

- MENTAL HEALTH IN WOMEN BEFORE AND DURING THE PANDEMIC COVID-19 - Prof. Ph.D. sc. Anela Hasanagić, Prof. Ph.D. sc. Almira Isić-Imamović and Prof. Ph.D. sc. Izet Pehlić

- MENTAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS DURING AND AFTER THE CRISIS CAUSED BY THE PANDEMIC COVID-19 - Doc. Ph.D. Amela Dautbegović

– CHALLENGES OF PREGNANCY AND MATERNITY DURING THE PANDEMIC OF COVID-19 – Doc. Ph.D. Selvira Draganović and Doc. Ph.D. Nina Bosankic

CONCLUSIONS OF THE CONFERENCE:

Spiritual treatment is necessary to strengthen and overcome the weaknesses of the previous approach in religious education, and the ultimate goal is to reach the practice of faith as a philosophy of life.
In crisis situations, it is necessary to strengthen mechanisms for dealing with stress in all, especially vulnerable groups (children and young people, pregnant women and young mothers), and multidisciplinary and multisectoral action should be taken through formal and informal systems of psychosocial support. In children and young people, due to poorly developed stress coping mechanisms and lack of social support, serious psychological, social and educational problems can be expected, which will require an adequate response.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, women faced a new challenge, they were given a series of new roles that required simultaneous effort (work, children's school, housework, fear of getting sick, and especially exposure to domestic violence), and it was empirically confirmed that all this resulted in an increase in anxiety and stress, and the fight for one's own life and safety.
The community's response should be psychosocial support programs, integrated into the health and educational system, and especially programs that have family-oriented approaches to improving the quality of mental health of children and adolescents, such as parenting support programs and the promotion of healthy family relationships.
In crisis situations, the involvement of psychologists plays a special role in explaining the current crisis, giving recommendations for correct behavior, providing general and individual psychological support, and the media and psychologists empowered for media work play a special role in this.
Religious communities stand out as a very significant factor in helping in crisis situations, especially through the promotion of the practice of faith as a philosophy of life. Based on the results of the research, three spiritual-psychological methods for dealing with crisis situations were distinguished: belief (iman), submission and refraining from sin, all in the function of strengthening a person's psychological immunity and establishing a quality balance between the spiritual and the physical.
Scientific research results have confirmed the relevance of the religious, or spiritual aspect of protection and support, as one of the main factors of encouraging resilience in dealing with crisis situations, trauma, stress, through: belief in God, various religious rites and living in accordance with faith. The results showed that individuals benefited through belief in dealing with the consequences caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Islamic community in Bosnia and Herzegovina in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, acting through its system and on believers, played a significant role in the implementation of the measures prescribed by the Crisis Staff, and showed that it respects the profession by making the decision to practice religious ceremonies at home, and by introducing appropriate measures in religious buildings.

After the Conference, the Faculty of Islamic Pedagogy of the University of Zenica will publish the Collection of Complete Papers.

Program Committee of the Conference