2024 Events
How to Increase Job Satisfaction Through Motivation and Engagement
On November 14th, the event called “How to Increase Job Satisfaction Through Motivation and Engagement” brought together experts in organizational psychology and management to explore key questions around employee motivation and building successful teams.Representing Data Lab, Prof. Dr. Oana David delivered a presentation titled “What Can Organizations Do to Support the Motivation of Generation Z?” The program featured interactive sessions and Q&A segments, providing participants with practical solutions that can be directly applied in professional settings
Conference: How to Raise Our Children in the Digital Age
The conference, titled “How to Raise Our Children in the Digital Age,” held on November 12th in Cluj, brought together experts to explore the challenges and opportunities that digitalization presents in education and parenting. One of the event’s highlights was a lecture by Professor Oana David PhD, head of the DATA Lab, who emphasized the role of technology in supporting the emotional regulation of children. The event offered practical solutions for parents and educators, promoting a balanced approach to the rapid technological shifts while underscoring the importance of conscious and responsible digital education.
BEING Project
Our team has finalized the BEING Project, a new innovative international mental health initiative implemented in 13 countries, co-funded by Grand Challenges Canada, Foundation Botnar, and United for Global Mental Health. The project aimed to improve access to mental health services, develop digital interventions, and address the specific needs of marginalized youth, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The final report identified key factors contributing to mental health challenges in Romania, including bullying, stigmatization, socio-economic difficulties, limited access to specialized mental health services, and cultural barriers that hinder open discussions about mental health. The report also emphasized the importance of integrating digital tools and platforms to offer scalable, cost-effective mental health support, ensuring that more young people have access to the care they need. The full report can be consulted here: https://b-i.org/wp-content/uploads/2024//04/Mapping–Youth-Mental-Health-La-18-2024.pdf
World Mental Health International College Student Initiative
The team from the Institute coordinating the national consortium of the international initiative on student mental health – World Mental Health International College Student Initiative – is honored to participate in the annual conference organized by Harvard Medical School! This invitation-based participation represents an extraordinary opportunity to present the results achieved in our projects. We are proud to be part of this prestigious event and look forward to collaborating with other experts to improve the mental health of students globally.
REThink Life Game – an innovation within Babeș-Bolyai University
Within the press conference held by Babeș-Bolyai University, through DATA Lab, regarding the launching the innovative REThink Life Game, Prof. Univ. Dr. Oana David offered a walk-through of the game and its main purpose of training emotional regulation skills.
You can read the article in full here
Launching of the REThink Life Game
Babeș-Bolyai University, through DATA Lab, recently hosted a press conference launching the innovative REThink Life Game, a 3D therapeutic game designed to train emotional regulation skills. Developed by Prof. Univ. Dr. Oana David in the DATA Lab, the game is part of the project “REThinkACADEMY: Helping universities in the effective care of students’ mental health in the digital age“, funded by the Ministry of Education.
You can view videos of the press conference here and here
You can read the articles featuring the game launching below:
https://transilvaniareporter.ro/actualitate/cercetare-inedita-si-solutii-digitale-pentru-sanatatea-mintala-care-este-legatura-intre-simtul-mirosului-si-locul-unde-traim/
https://stiintapentruviata.ro/2024/03/06/cercetare-inedita-si-solutii-digitale-pentru-sanatatea-mintala-care-este-legatura-intre-simtul-mirosului-si-locul-unde-traim/
https://cluj-am.ro/2024/03/04/ubb-conferinta-de-presa-pentru-lansarea-jocului-terapeutic-rethink-life/
https://www.amosnews.ro/universitatea-babes-bolyai-lanseaza-jocul-terapeutic-rethink-life/
https://ziarulfaclia.ro/jocul-terapeutic-rethink-life-lansat-de-ubb-la-cluj/
https://www.agerpres.ro/comunicate/2024/02/29/comunicat-de-presa-universitatea-babes-bolyai-din-cluj-napoca–1256898
https://www.habitatcluj.ro/stiri-din-cluj/jocul-terapeutic-rethink-life-lansat-de-ubb-la-clujPress conference: Launching the online therapeutic game REThink Life Game
Babeș-Bolyai University invites you to participate in the press conference on the launch of the REThink Life Game therapeutic game. The REThink Life online game is a 3D therapeutic game that uses psychology to train specific emotional regulation skills. REThink Life Game is a stand-alone intervention with an integrated emotional skills assessment system. It is comprised of 4 levels, each training a distinct emotion regulation skill. The characters in the game are real, members of the lab, which helps to increase the ecological validity and difficulty within certain levels. Thus, the role of RETman, the guide in the game, is played by the rector of UBB, Prof. Univ. Dr. Daniel David, and the role of the Optimist who guides the implementation of skills in real life is played by the project director, Prof. Univ. Dr. Oana David. The game is developed in DATA Lab by Prof. Univ. Dr. Oana DAVID, based on a nationally funded research project called “REThinkACADEMY: Supporting universities to effectively care for students’ mental health in the digital age”. The project is financed by the Ministry of Education through the program for Increasing the competitiveness of the Romanian economy, the Demonstration Experimental Project subprogram, with a total budget of 598,495 LEI.
The event will take place on Monday, March 4, 2024, starting at 12:30 p.m., in the International Institute for the Advanced Studies of Psychotherapy building (AVALON building) on Republicii street no. 37. The press conference will have Prof. Univ. Dr. Oana David.
Dr. Oana David is an university professor in the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, within the Babeș-Bolyai University, Director of the International Institute for Advanced Studies in Psychotherapy and Applied Mental Health, the DATA laboratory and the Babeș-Bolyai PsyTech Clinic. Her research is focused on the effectiveness of technology-based tools for preventing emotional disturbances and stress in children, adolescents, and young adults. She has obtained 6 major research grants on the basis of which he developed the following technology-based therapeutic tools: the REThink therapeutic game, the stress management app PsyPills, the MoodWheel and StudentMood emotion monitoring apps, the online Rational and Positive Parenting Program, and the roboRETman mechatronic therapeutic device for training emotional skills in children.
Project Launching: „Scented Pathways: Unveiling the Relationship of Microbiomes with Olfactory Abilities and Psychological Well-Being”
Prof. Univ. Dr. Agnieszka Sorokowska, is the winner of the project funded by the PNRR program, called “Scented Pathways: Unveiling the Relationship of Microbiomes with Olfactory Abilities and Psychological Well-Being”. This is a research project that aims to investigate the relationship between the sense of smell and the psychological well-being, by comparison with populations belonging to the Amazon and West Papua, in which the Babeș-Bolyai University is represented by Prof. Univ. Dr. Oana David.
You can read the articles featuring the project launching in full below:
https://ziarulfaclia.ro/jocul-terapeutic-rethink-life-lansat-de-ubb-la-cluj/
https://www.habitatcluj.ro/stiri-din-cluj/jocul-terapeutic-rethink-life-lansat-de-ubb-la-cluj
https://cluj-am.ro/2024/03/04/ubb-conferinta-de-presa-pentru-lansarea-jocului-terapeutic-rethink-life/
https://stiintapentruviata.ro/2024/03/06/cercetare-inedita-si-solutii-digitale-pentru-sanatatea-mintala-care-este-legatura-intre-simtul-mirosului-si-locul-unde-traim/
https://transilvaniareporter.ro/actualitate/cercetare-inedita-si-solutii-digitale-pentru-sanatatea-mintala-care-este-legatura-intre-simtul-mirosului-si-locul-unde-traim/
https://news.ubbcluj.ro/lansarea-proiectului-scented-pathways-unveiling-the-relationship-of-microbiomes-with-olfactory-abilities-and-psychological-well-being-la-ubb/
Congress on Non-Communicable Chronic Diseases – The XII-th edition
Participating in the XIII-th edition of the “Congress on Non-Communicable Chronic Diseases,” organized by the Romanian Federation of Diabetes, Nutrition, and Metabolic Diseases, provided an opportunity to explore a diverse range of topics including diabetes, mental health, nutrition, metabolic diseases, cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney diseases, pulmonary diseases, and neurological disorders.
Prof. Univ. Oana David, director of the DATA Lab, participated as a speaker featuring scientific research about mental health and life-style in the context of non-communicable chronic diseases, thereby enhancing dialogue and knowledge sharing within the realm of psychology.
Direct interaction with experts in cardiology, diabetes, psychology and nephrology allowed participants to benefit from the latest knowledge and trends in clinical management. Furthermore, participation in the congress was not only educational but also a step forward in advancing efforts to improve health outcomes and quality of life for individuals affected by chronic non-communicable diseases.
AITANA 2023: International Congress of Clinical and Health Psychology in Children and Adolescents
We are happy to share the participation of the DATA Laboratory team at the AITANA Congress in Valencia, Spain. During the congress, Prof. David, director of the laboratory, coordinated a symposium entitled “Digital Mental Health: Ecological Momentary Assessment and Gamified Therapeutic Tools for Youths”.
In this symposium, we had the opportunity to present current data on technology-assisted psychological assessment and interventions and the latest findings related to tools developed in our laboratory.
Our participation highlights the importance of technological advances in improving the mental health of young people.
Open science publishing: “Effectiveness of the REThink therapeutic online video game in promoting mental health in children and adolescents”
Proud to announce that our article that evaluates the effectiveness of REThink therapeutic online video game in promoting mental health in children and adolescents is aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through the practice open access science.
EABCT 2023 Congress: CBT in a Changing World: Migration and Cultural Diversity
We are happy to share with you our great experience at the EABCT Congress with the theme “CBT in a Changing World: Migration And Cultural Diversity”, held on October 4th-7th in beautiful Antalya, Turkey.
Our team from the Digital Affective Technologies in Therapy and Assessment laboratory actively participated in this prestigious event. Prof. Univ. Dr. Oana David, Director of the DATA Lab, had the honor of being a speaker in one of the symposiums of scientific works within the conference, thus contributing to the facilitation of dialogue and the exchange of knowledge in the field of psychology.
We are also proud to announce that the results of the studies that used the tools developed in the DATA Lab were presented to international specialists in the field of psychology. This is a confirmation of our research and innovation efforts in the development of technology-based tools in therapy and assessment.
Harvard Medical School
Proud to present the REThink game research at Harvard Medical School! We were invited to participate at the 2023 Annual meeting of the World Mental Health – CSI consortium and enjoyed meeting this fabulous team!
10th World Congress of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies: Seul, Korea
1-4 June 2023: Dr. Oana David, the director of DATA Lab, had the opportunity to chair the Open Paper session on Assessing and Treating Emotion Regulation at the 10th World Congress of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies in Seul, Korea. During this session, she held a presentation on “Online Game-Based CBT With Children and Adolescents: Validation of the Game-Based Assessment System for Emotion-Regulation Abilities”.
UBB STUDENT LIVING LAB
Babes-Bolyai University implements for the first time in Romania through the DATA laboratory (Digital Affective Technologies in Therapy and Assessment) and the REThink ACADEMY project, the UBB STUDENT LIVING LAB ecosystem, which aims to evaluate the emotional well-being of students in real life on campuses. The project involves the use of the dedicated app StudentMood, which allows the evaluation of emotional distress and other psychological and behavioral parameters within the student community. It uses iterative feedback, co-creation processes and collective engagement to understand the dynamics of emotional distress across semesters.
Currently, the main project carried out within the UBB STUDENT LIVING LAB consists of the continuous monitoring of the mental health of first-year students, by using the sampling method of emotional experiences, self-reported lifestyle, behaviors (e.g. physical activity) and measuring some of their physiological parameters (e.g. heart rate variability). The REThink ACADEMY project, together with other projects carried out in international consortia, such as the World Mental Health – International Student Initiative project coordinated by Harvard University, will allow a deeper understanding of the affective component of student life at UBB.
Within the UBB STUDENT LIVING LAB, the DATA Laboratory in collaboration with Babeș-Bolyai University Clinic “PsyTech” constantly carries out research projects dedicated to students, in which they can benefit from innovative support interventions in mental health and can get involved in the development , testing and scaling them.
Interventions in digital mental health: The REThink app
15 March 2023 – The REThink app was presented at the Brain Awareness Week, organized by the Laboratory of Cognitive Clinical Sciences and the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Bucharest.
You can access the presentation here: https://fb.watch/ji_YXgjJ_Q/
Almanah Flacara newspaper
The REThink therapeutic game and DATA Lab team were presented in Almanah Flacara newspaper, issued in 2023 within an interview with the director of the lab Professor Oana David Ph.D.
Transylvania Cystic Fibrosis Conference
5 February 2023 – Transylvania Cystic Fibrosis Conference – Psychological support for children with chronic diseases and their relatives
The #PLAYSERIOUSLY PROJECT
#PLAYSERIOUSLY is a project funded by CEI and SAE Institute Milan. Partner Institutions: SAE Institute Belgrade (Serbia)• Babes-Bolyai University (Romania) • University of Banjia Luka (Bosnia and Herzegovina) • University of Crne Gore (Montenegro) • University of Szeged (Hungary) • Play-Ability • Hogrefe. The event is supported by AIRIPA and part of Milano Digital Week.
CEI INITIATIVE is a European funding program addressed to the South Eastern Countries of our continent. CEI aims at supporting initiatives that foster the exchange of knowledge and mobility within the region and institutions operating in higher education.
PLAYSERIOUSLY is a project which aims at realizing a hackathon in order to develop a concept for an inclusive and psychoeducational video game.
The European Family Support Network
EurofamNet is a pan-European family support network focused on family support policies and practices, reflecting common goals across participating countries, while recognizing the specific nature of families’ cultural and socio-economic contexts within them. The Action aims to inform family policies and practices towards the ultimate goal of ensuring children’s rights and families’ well-being. EurofamNet will do so by building collaborations between researchers, practitioners, policy-makers, children and families, public and private agencies, and general society.
Dr. David is representating Romania in the parenting interventions working group.
Pediatric Gaming Technology Symposium
21 & 22 September 2022 – The REThink Emotions project was presented as part of the Pediatric Gaming Technology Symposium hosted by Child’s Play Charity and Children’s Hospital Colorado. The results concerning the game’s ability to assess children’s emotional problems were presented, along with the usability analysis.
You can access the complete presentation held by our colleague, Cristina Tomoiagă, here.
EABCT 2022
September 2022 – The REThink Emotions project was presented as part of the Digital Mental Health Symposium at the European Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, alongside research initiatives from top international research centres. We are honored to have the project Director, Associate Professor Oana David as chair of the event.
In addition, PhD students Iuga Ioana Alexandra and Sîrbu Vasile presented papers describing present research initiatives that are carried out with the use of the REThink Game and the PsyPills app.
Games for Change Awards
July 2022 – REThink Game was selected among the finalists for Games for Change Awards 2022 – Best Health Game and has participated in the Games for Change Festival https://www.gamesforchange.org/blog_posts/g4c2022-awards-finalists/
Capacity Building Grant
July 2022 – DATA Lab has received Capacity Building Grant from Child’s Play Charity https://www.childsplaycharity.org/
Research Valorization Program
2021-2022 – REThink Game was selected finalist and we participated in the Research Valorization Program (RVP-2.0) North-East Regional Development Agency with the support of the World Bank Group in Romaniahttps://www.adrnordest.ro/en/rvp2_0_en/
Rotaract Cluj-Napoca VisiON
Episode 3…. on VisiON! About emotional regulation with Associate Professor Oana David, PhD from the „Psytech” Babeș-Bolyai University Clinic.
The Conference of the Romanian Psychological Association – 2021
Connected to the future: Psychology and Technology
11th – 15th November 2021
REThink Emotions project was presented as part of Conference of the Romanian Psychological Association 2021, alongside research initiatives from top Romanian research centres. The Director of DATA Lab, alongside Ph.D students from Babeș-Bolyai University held a workshop on the subject of Parenting and emotion regulation: tachnology-based and evidence-based interventions. Furthermore, the preliminary results of research initiatives were presented.
European Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies – 2021
CBT Back to the Future
8th – 11th September 2021
REThink Emotions project was presented at the European Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Annual Congress as part of the Open Papers section on the subject of Children and Adolescents: Assessment and evaluation, alongside research initiatives from top international research centres.
10th International Congress of Cognitive Psychotherapy
13th – 15th May 2021
REThink Emotions project was presented as part of the Technology-Based CBT Symposium at the 10th International Congress of Cognitive Psychotherapy, alongside research initiatives from top international research centres. We are honored to have the project Director, Associate Professor Oana David as chair of the event.
REThink Emotions Platform, psychological support for children and adolescents
The new version of the REThink Game
We are happy to share with you a teaser of the new version of the REThink game for children and adolescents, available on http://app.rethinkplatform.ro!
Babeș-Bolyai University launches the REThink Emotions Platform
27th April 2021
The platform contains the REThink therapeutic game, unique at an international level because of its focus, the incorporation of evidence-based protocols and documented effects. The game gives children the chance to practice emotion regulation abilities in a fun manner, and is available online for children between 8 and 16 years old from the whole country on the basis of research projects conducted by DATA Lab.
Psychology and Life – Interview
An interesting discussion about therapeutic games, facitilated by Associate Professor Oana David, PhD in the T.V. show “Psychology and Life”.
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