Psychological intervention of students with high abilities in a public university

Abstract

At the Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo (UAEH), the Psychological Care Service is provided to increase passing, retention, and completion rates in Higher Education. Its general objective is to respond to the psycho-emotional needs of students throughout their academic career with timely follow-up. One of its goals is to promote coordinated actions focused on disadvantaged students to prevent risks. This begins with the application of a Context Diagnosis questionnaire to applicants that identifies risk factors and the type of individual attention they require. This communication presents the case of gifted students who, due to their condition, may experience personal, psychological, and educational problems that affect their admission, retention, and graduation. Another action to address these different needs is the training of psychologists through the Seminar on Identification, Psychopedagogical Evaluation, and Educational Intervention for Gifted Students, with the goal of providing them with basic tools for the process. This study presents a mixed-method approach, presenting the results of this seminar delivered to 60 psychologists from different UAEH institutes and higher education schools. The results obtained from a diagnostic test, training, and a posttest are analyzed, presented in four categories: a) False beliefs and the reality of general giftedness; b) False beliefs and the reality of giftedness in academic competence; c) False beliefs and the reality of giftedness in social competence and emotional characteristics; d) False beliefs and the reality of giftedness in intervention (Reche, 2025; Rodríguez, 2001). Among the findings and conclusions obtained through the seminar, the psychologists were able to analyze and discuss the initial beliefs and the different realities.