Teachers’ Occupational Health and Organisational Support in Italian Schools: Evidence from the “4th Teachers’ Living and Working Conditions” and “HBSC Teachers” Surveys

Schools face growing pressures to deliver on learning, inclusion, equity, and innovation with constrained resources (European Commission, 2008). As teachers’ work expands beyond instruction, administrative and compliance demands contribute to time poverty and limited recovery (Creagh et al., 2025; OECD, 2025). Teachers’ occupational health is central to promoting wellbeing across the whole school community (World Health Organization, 2022), and school-based relational conditions (e.g., supportive leadership and collegial relationships) are key protective resources in high-demand contexts (Schaufeli et al., 2006; Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2009; Velasco et al., 2013). This study aims to describe teachers’ burnout, engagement, and perceived need for psychological support across sociodemographic and professional groups, and to examine how these outcomes vary by satisfaction with relationships with school leaders and colleagues. This study is part of the Quarta Indagine sulle Condizioni di Vita e di Lavoro degli Insegnanti Italiani, which aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the living and working conditions of the Italian school system. The survey involved a representative sample of 9,671 teachers, based on a stratified sampling design. The analyses presented here focus on a random subsample (N = 4,699) who completed a dedicated battery on teachers’ occupational wellbeing. Self-report measures of burnout (BAT-12) and engagement (UWES-9) were administered. Teachers were also asked whether they considered a dedicated psychological support service at school useful for supporting teachers’ wellbeing. In addition, teachers’ satisfaction with perceived support from school leaders and colleagues was examined. To further contextualise these national findings, additional analyses will benchmark results against the HBSC Teachers Survey 2022 (Lombardy, Italy), which involved 5,847 teachers from lower and upper secondary schools. Overall, Italian teachers reported low-to-moderate burnout (M = 1.95; SD = 0.53), with 18.3% in the high range and 1.5% in the very high range. Exhaustion was the highest burnout component (M = 2.54; SD = 0.82), and 60.2% reported scepticism about the meaning and value their work has for others. Engagement was high (M = 3.98; SD = 0.62): 77.5% reported feeling enthusiastic often/always and 83.6% feeling immersed often/always. Group differences were modest: burnout was lower and engagement higher in Central/Southern Italy than in the North, and primary teachers reported lower burnout and higher engagement than secondary teachers. Regarding support needs, 59.9% considered a school-based psychological support service useful for themselves. Finally, greater satisfaction with support from school leaders and colleagues was associated with lower burnout and higher engagement, most strongly for school leadership, consistent with HBSC Teachers evidence linking higher principal support to lower burnout. Findings indicate that, alongside generally high engagement, a non-negligible share of teachers experience elevated burnout and report concerns about the meaning and value their work has for others. Reported needs for psychological support are widespread. Satisfaction with school-based relational support, especially from school leaders, shows the clearest and most consistent association with both lower burnout and higher engagement, highlighting the relevance of strengthening supportive leadership and collegial environments in efforts to promote teachers’ occupational health.