From 22 to 24 September 2026, the 46th International Conference of the Stress, Trauma, Anxiety and Resilience Society was held at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb. This year’s conference focused on resilience in an age of anxiety and digital transformation.

Members and students of the Department of Psychology actively participated in the conference by presenting two original research papers prepared within the framework of the scientific projects LIVEC: Lifelong Development of Emotional Competencies (principal investigator: Assoc. Prof. Dario Vučenović, PhD) and Psychological Determinants of Work Behaviour and Employee Well-Being in Contemporary Working Conditions (principal investigator: Assoc. Prof. Maša Tonković Grabovac, PhD):

• Beyond positive and negative affect: replication of employee well-being profiles and their links to psychological resilience (Tonković Grabovac, M., Vučenović, D., Jelić, K.).
  A study conducted among 824 employees confirmed three patterns of emotional experiences at work, previously identified through cluster analysis: the predominance of unpleasant emotions, the predominance of pleasant emotions, and generally lower emotional intensity. Employees whose work experience was predominantly characterised by pleasant emotions reported the highest levels of psychological resilience, that is, the capacity to cope with stress and recover from adversity, whereas resilience was lowest among employees whose work experience was predominantly characterised by unpleasant emotions.

• AI anxiety and burnout in the workplace: examining the role of psychological safety through the JD-R model (Vedriš, J., Pavlović, K., Gregurić, K., Marić, M., & Tonković Grabovac, M.).
  A study conducted among 806 employees showed that fear of job loss due to artificial intelligence was associated with higher levels of workplace burnout. Employees who feel psychologically safe in their work environment, perceive support, and are able to openly express their concerns exhibit fewer symptoms of burnout. These findings highlight the importance of trust and support during periods of technological change.

The conference also featured presentations by numerous distinguished international and Croatian scholars, including external associates and faculty members of the Department of Psychology, Prof. Goran Milas, PhD, and Prof. Ines Sučić, PhD.