On April 14, 2026, a round table titled “Resources and Risks of Teachers’ Professional Longevity” was held, organized by the journal “Extreme Psychology and Personal Safety“ and the Moscow State University of Psychology and Education (MSUPE). The event was dedicated to the release of the first thematic issue of the journal under the same title (2026, No. 1). The speakers included contributors to the issue—psychologists and educational researchers from various regions of Russia. Around 90 participants from 32 cities and regions of Russia, as well as from Minsk, Bryansk, and Almaty, registered for the event.
The round table was held with the support of the MSUPE Boiling Point. The moderator was Dmitry V. Deulin, Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Dean of the Faculty of Extreme Psychology at MSUPE.
The Editor-in-Chief of the journal, Doctor of Psychological Sciences, Professor of the Department of Scientific Foundations of Extreme Psychology, Tatyana N. Berezina, emphasized the relevance and novelty of the topic of professional longevity.
The first presentation was delivered by Anna V. Litvinova, Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Scientific Foundations of Extreme Psychology. Her report focused on the relationship between teachers’ professional longevity, burnout, and life resources. She emphasized that the foundation of longevity is the psychological safety of the educational environment. Anna V. Litvinova noted that environmental safety and resilience slow down aging, whereas burnout accelerates it. Professional development requires a connection with psychological resources, and in the pre-retirement period there is an increasing tendency toward more autonomous decision-making.
The presentation by Azalia M. Zinatullina, Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Scientific Foundations of Extreme Psychology, addressed a study of psychophysiological indicators in teachers who combine work with continuing education in adulthood. It was found that professional workload in this group leads to accelerated biological aging. While the average chronological age of the teachers was 33, their biological age approached 44. The identified correlation between biological age and stress tolerance indicates the existence of an internal mechanism of resource depletion. Therefore, teachers need to monitor objective health indicators and study and apply methods aimed at compensating for the physiological cost of stress.
The presentation by Svetlana A. Pavlova, Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Associate Professor, Deputy Head of the Department of Psychology and Pedagogy at the Krasnodar University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, and Natalia A. Semenova , Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Associate Professor, Professor of the same department, presented the results of a study on the mutual influence of self-organization competence, work-related experiences, and fatigue as an adverse mental state associated with professional activity. The theoretical framework of the study included the concept of self-organization within activity theory, the understanding of fatigue as an unfavorable mental state, and flow theory. According to the results presented by Natalia A. Semenova, the central factor in overcoming professional fatigue was not simply a sense of meaning or self-organization, but “enjoyment of work”—the ability to experience flow during work. This emotional component integrates other personal resources. At the same time, meaningfulness of activity is largely determined by the level of experienced enjoyment.
Inna Yu. Rezvanova , Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Management at the Corporate University of Education Development, presented the results of a study on job demands and resources of a safe work environment that influence teacher burnout. The theoretical basis included the job demands–resources model, self-determination theory, and the symptomatic model of burnout. The results showed that strong predictors of burnout are controlled motivation and job demands such as workload, role conflict, job complexity, and decision-making requirements. Factors negatively associated with burnout include autonomous motivation, feedback on performance, and role clarity. Controlled motivation (working only for money or out of fear) increases the risk of burnout even when resources are available. The conclusion was that creating a safe and motivating educational environment requires not reducing demands, but providing sufficient resources.
Natalia N. Ananyeva, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Communicology and Psychology at the Faculty of Linguistics and Intercultural Communication of Southwest State University, presented the results of a study on subjective well-being and professional burnout among preschool teachers. It was found that psychological well-being indicators in this group are below the norm: teachers experience emotional passivity, difficulties in organizing activities and building social relationships, and a lack of resources for personal growth. An inverse correlation between burnout and subjective well-being was identified: increased emotional exhaustion and alienation lead to lower life satisfaction.
The presentation by Yulia F. Faskhutdinova, Master of Psychology and teacher at Secondary School No. 8 named after I.P. Khatuntsev (Ufa), was delivered by the Editor-in-Chief Tatyana N. Berezina. The study examined the digitalization of the educational process as a factor of teachers’ psychological well-being in Bashkortostan and revealed an interesting paradox. Although teachers identify certain aspects of digitalization (information overload, network failures) as major stressors, objective data show that those who actively and frequently use digital technologies demonstrate higher levels of psychological well-being.
The round table concluded with a presentation by Dmitry V. Deulin titled “Studying Teachers’ Professional Longevity and Psychological Health with Regard to Their Psychological Age”. The study showed that teachers often perceive themselves as younger than their actual age. Those who perceive themselves as younger demonstrate higher levels of psychological well-being, particularly in terms of environmental control. It was noted that the peak of subjective aging and burnout occurs between the ages of 45 and 54 (likely due to professional burnout), after which many experience a “second wind”.
Participants highly appreciated the speakers’ presentations; it was noted that most studies were conducted on relatively small samples. At the same time, the topic is relatively new, and participants expressed hope that the presentations would provide a basis for further research ideas.
Speakers’ presentations:
Yulia Fatykhovna Faskhutdinova
Anna Viktorovna Litvinova and Svetlana Dmitrievna Novikova
Svetlana Aleksandrovna Pavlova and Natalya Aleksandrovna Semenova
Calendar of webinars and meetings of the “Science in Publications” project for 2026.