A systematic review of qualitative research exploring resilience in Academia

PURPOSE: The high demands of academia place staff under considerable stress, and enhancing resilience has been proposed as a means of coping with stress; however, resilience in academic contexts remains underexplored. This systematic review aimed to investigate resilience in academia from the perspective of academic staff. METHOD: This review was registered within PROSPERO (CRD420251018894) and conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Qualitative studies were identified through searches of CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library, from inception to April 2025. Eligible studies involved academics and focused on resilience. RESULTS: Thirteen qualitative studies were included. Three main themes were identified: factors influencing resilience, barriers to building and sustaining resilience, and strategies to strengthen resilience. CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight the need for targeted resilience interventions and education programmes to enhance well-being in academia.