Experiences and challenges in mental health research and practice during COVID-19: Perspectives from emerging psychologists across five countries

The recently concluded International Congress of Psychology 2020+ brought together psychologists from different countries and various cultural backgrounds. A fundamental part of the congress is the Emerging Psychologists’ Program. The program provided a valuable platform for early career researchers across different countries, cultures and fields to exchange knowledge, communicate and collaborate. This article comes from the perspective of the Emerging Psychologists Program participants consisting of early career psychology researchers and practitioners from Malaysia, Philippines, South Africa, Singapore, and Australia. This article highlights the challenges and learnings gained through our doctoral research journey. We are hoping our experiences are of relevance to students of mental health, clinicians, and researchers, consistent with your journal’s mission to be a conduit for dissemination of information across the Asian countries and to and from the rest of the world (Tandon, 2020).