Wednesday 22 July 14:05
- 15:35
Hall: 01 - Basilica
Chair and Presenter:
Miglioretti Massimo
Co-Chair:
Dell'Aversana Giuseppina
Discussant:
Pignata Silvia
Division: Division 1: Work and Organizational Psychology
The well-being of academic and technical-administrative staff has become a central issue for higher education institutions, with growing evidence linking staff health to both educational quality and student outcomes. This symposium brings together international scholars to present innovative research and training strategies addressing mental health, burnout prevention, gender-inclusive language, and stress management in university contexts.
The session opens with the contribution of Silvia Pignata and colleagues, who illustrate how a comprehensive Student Mental Health Framework can be adapted to support university staff. Their work demonstrates the importance of systemic and multi-layered approaches, highlighting the strong interdependence between student and educator well-being.
Building on this theme, Alain Marchand and colleagues present results from a large Canadian longitudinal study on burnout among university employees. Findings show that academic managers and professors-researchers are particularly at risk, pointing to the need for targeted preventive interventions.
A further contribution is offered by Elisa De Carlo and colleagues, who describe an experiential training program for teachers designed to enhance resilience, engagement, and professional development. The significant improvements observed underscore the potential of continuing education to strengthen psychosocial resources and foster more sustainable educational practices.
The symposium then turns to inclusion, with Vittorio Scuderi and colleagues presenting the results of a quasi-experimental study on gender-inclusive language training for Italian university staff. Their findings confirm the key role of inclusive environments in encouraging positive attitudes and the practical adoption of inclusive communication.
Finally, Massimo Miglioretti and colleagues share the evaluation of a stress management program for technical-administrative personnel. Beyond high participant satisfaction, the study highlights how tailored interventions can increase awareness of stressors, strengthen coping strategies, and provide a foundation for broader organizational initiatives aimed at long-term impact.
