Empowered Minds: New Challenges in Mental Health in the 21st Century

As life expectancy rises, maintaining cognitive and emotional health is becoming an urgent challenge – not only for individuals, but also for families, communities, and societies.
Longevity presents both challenges and opportunities to rethink how we live, learn, and support mental resilience across the lifespan.
Cognitive decline, chronic stress, depression, and attention-related difficulties already affect a large portion of the global population, with severe emotional and economic consequences. These interconnected conditions can increase the risk of burnout and suicide, underscoring the need for innovative prevention and resilience strategies – especially in mental health promotion and suicide prevention.
Mental health today goes beyond diagnosis and treatment; it involves cultivating daily resilience, cognitive flexibility, and social-emotional skills through proactive, continuous approaches.
The 2025 World Expo offers a unique opportunity to explore how emerging technologies – such as biofeedback, neurofeedback, and immersive virtual reality – are reshaping mental health care. These tools merge ancient wisdom with cutting-edge science to support well-being in new and effective ways.

Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
Speaker: Professor Yoshinori Cho
Professor Yoshinori Cho (b. 1965, Osaka, Japan) is Director of the National Institute of Mental Health at the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP), Japan. A renowned expert in clinical psychiatry and suicidology, he also has a deep interest in social psychology and the study of religion.

Tech-Driven Tools for 21st Century Mental Health (with Live Demo)
Presentation of Dr. Ágnes Jenei and Dr. Császár-Nagy Noémi
Key Topics:

• The conditions necessary for effective cognitive and soft skills development, and the technologies that further enhance these processes
• The Power of Real-Time Feedback in Cognitive Development:
  Live Demo: Biofeedback & Neurofeedback in Action
• Live Demo: Cognitive and Interpersonal Skills Training in Virtual Reality
  Speaker: Dr. Ágnes Jenei
  Ágnes Jenei, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the National University of Public Service, Hungary, and an executive and soft skills trainer. In recent years, her work has focused on the use of virtual reality, biofeedback, and neurofeedback in learning and development. She is actively involved in both national and international collaborations exploring how these emerging technologies can enhance cognitive and interpersonal growth.
  Together with Dr. Noémi Császár-Nagy – a clinical psychologist, hypnotherapist, and hypnotherapy trainer, as well as the CEO of Psychosomatics Outpatient Clinics Budapest, which is also engaged in XR research and development – she co-leads the NUPS XR Research Group.