Families face challenges as family structure changes over time. Family-related issues continue to influence the sustainability of today’s families. Some common challenges can happen in various settings, such as a moving house, separation or divorce, parenting issues, the pressure at work or school, unemployment and financial issues, illness or disability, separation or divorce, death of a family member, addiction, and violence, which potentially put families at risk of being marginalized and excluded in society. Studies have shown that these issues can create significant impacts on families and society.

A problem or challenge requires family members to find and/ or use strategies to cope effectively. Considerable studies have found that couples and families who can manage adversity often become resilient, have meaningful lives, and better adapt to meet future challenges (Walsh, 2016). However, families who deal with highly stressful life experiences increase the risk of being dysfunctional and apply negative coping strategies that can hamper family functioning (Walsh, 2016). Socioeconomic, cultural, and political aspects play significant contributions for families in responding to challenges that could mask significant disparities across regions and groups of society Falicov 2012. Thus, each experience will have unique features.

To address the challenges that families face, this conference focuses on building and supporting family members’ roles to improve and support family well being, as articulated in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The theme, “Strengthening family roles to improve human functioning and mental health in educational, work, and community settings” challenges researchers, psychologists, educators, policymakers, stakeholders, and students to critically engage with questions about ‘what is happening’ and ‘what can be done’ in many settings that impact our family, both within Indonesia and internationally.