Emotional Exhaustion and Engagement in Higher Education Students during a Crisis, Lessons Learned from COVID-19 Experience in Italian Universities

Chiara Ghislieri, Domenico Sanseverino (), Valentina Dolce, Paola Spagnoli, Amelia Manuti, Emanuela Ingusci and Tindara Addabbo
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Chiara Ghislieri: Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, TO, Italy
Domenico Sanseverino: Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, TO, Italy
Valentina Dolce: Research Group in Social Psychology (GRePS), Institute of Psychology, University Lumière Lyon 2, 69676 Bron, France
Paola Spagnoli: Department of Psychology, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 81100 Caserta, CE, Italy
Amelia Manuti: Department of Educational Sciences, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70121 Bari, BA, Italy
Emanuela Ingusci: Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, LE, Italy
Tindara Addabbo: Marco Biagi Department of Economics, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41121 Modena, MO, Italy

Social Sciences, 2023, vol. 12, issue 2, 1-17

Abstract: Italian university students face an uncertain future characterised by a competitive neoliberal academic environment with high demands and a weak labour market that often cannot hire those who are best qualified. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated students’ uncertainty and negatively affected their well-being. The purpose of this study is to explore perceptions of academic life during the pandemic and to examine the relationship between study load, reduced academic performance, internet addiction, academic self-efficacy, and engagement and emotional exhaustion. A sample of university students (N = 10,298) from 11 Italian universities completed a self-report questionnaire about their academic and personal lives between May and June 2021. We performed two multiple linear regressions and one ANOVA to highlight gender differences. Results indicate that female students reported lower levels of engagement and academic self-efficacy, and higher levels of exhaustion and study demands compared to male students, while older students generally appear to exhibit higher levels of well-being. Study load, reduced academic performance, and internet addiction showed a negative association with engagement, particularly the first two, and a positive association with exhaustion, while self-efficacy was positively associated with engagement and negatively associated with exhaustion. The results suggest the need to introduce additional forms of support, such as psychological support, internet addiction awareness courses or counseling services.

Keywords: academic self-efficacy; emotional exhaustion; engagement; Job Demands-Resources Model; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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