ORCID
Adnan Adil, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8513-7791; Sultan Shujja, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7502-1314; Samina Rashid, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9758-1846
Abstract
In today’s rapidly evolving academic and occupational landscape, understanding the psychological resources that support student well-being is critical. This study investigates the predictive role of academic psychological capital (PsyCap) in fostering flourishing among Pakistani university undergraduates, specifically identifying the mediating mechanisms of career adaptability and study engagement. Grounded in career construction theory and the JD-R model, the research contributes to theory by positioning PsyCap as a key personal resource that facilitates adaptive capacity and meaningful engagement. Data from 350 undergraduates in public-sector universities were analyzed using path analysis. Results revealed that PsyCap significantly predicted flourishing (β = .35, p < .001), with career adaptability (β = .21, p < .001) and study engagement (β = .31, p < .001) serving as significant mediators; the model accounted for 54% of the variance in flourishing (R2 = .54, p < .001). This study bridges a significant gap in the predominantly Western PsyCap and student well-being literature by empirically validating a Resources–Adaptation–Engagement pathway in a non-Western, resource-constrained context. The findings carry international relevance by demonstrating that core psychological resources operate similarly across cultural and structural contexts, offering transferable insights for global higher-education policy, cross-cultural well-being research, and student mental-health promotion initiatives.
