Sapienza University launches Wave project for student wellbeing

Sapienza University of Rome has inaugurated ‘Il mio primo passo’ (My First Step), a participatory art installation by visual artist Mattia Varsalone, known as Lunar. The installation is part of the Wave (Wellbeing and Assistance for Valuable Education) project, which aims to address the growing mental health and wellbeing needs of students in the Lazio region.

Wave is a collaborative initiative involving several universities and academies, including Sapienza, Università degli Studi della Tuscia, Università degli Studi di Roma ‘Foro Italico’, Lumsa, Unint, the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, and the Silvio d’Amico National Academy of Dramatic Arts. The project, which won a Proben tender from the Ministry of University and Research, serves approximately 140,000 students by integrating psychological support, physical movement, and community engagement.

The initiative follows data from the Proben survey indicating that over 60% of surveyed students show indicators of psychological distress, and 42.6% report an imbalance between required effort and recognition, which is linked to chronic stress risks.