Komarudin, Bambang Budi Wiyono, Nur Eva, Imanuel Hitipeuw, Hasan Said Tortop
This study aims to empirically test a theoretical model explaining how grit and social support influence university students’ psychological well-being through problem-focused coping. The novelty of this study lies in integrating grit (as a personal resource) and social support (as a conditional resource) within the framework of the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory to explain the mechanisms that sustain psychological well-being in the context of higher education in Indonesia. A quantitative correlational design was employed, involving 1,019 students from private universities in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, selected using cluster random sampling. Four validated instruments were used: the Psychological Well-Being Scale, Problem-Focused Coping Scale, Grit-S Scale, and Social Support Scale. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The findings demonstrate positive relationships among all variables: psychological well-being, grit, social support, and problem-focused coping. Moreover, problem-focused coping partially mediates the effects of grit and social support on psychological well-being. These results provide empirical support for the COR theory by showing that internal (grit) and external (social support) resources jointly enhance students’ capacity to maintain psychological wellbeing through adaptive coping strategies. The study contributes to the literature by clarifying the psychological mechanisms underlying student resilience and offering evidence-based insights for developing interventions to foster well-being in academic settings. © 2026 Walter de Gruyter GmbH. All rights reserved.
Department of Psychology, Universitas Negeri Malang, East Java, Malang, Indonesia; Department of Psychology, Universitas ‘Aisyiyah Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Department of Education Management, Universitas Negeri Malang, East Java, Malang, Indonesia; Genc Bilge (Young Wise) Publishing, Isparta, Turkey
