Strength use, authenticity, and emptiness: Pathways to flourishing among Indian University students

Background: Flourishing is increasingly recognized as a vital indicator of student well-being, yet little is known about its predictors and mechanisms in collectivist, high-pressure educational contexts. This study examined whether strength use predicts flourishing among Indian university students, with authenticity and subjective emptiness as mediators, and gender as a moderator. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 426 students (analytic N = 322; 75% female; M age = 22.2 years) recruited from classrooms across colleges in Bangalore, India. Participants completed validated measures of strength use, authenticity (authentic living, self-alienation, external influence), subjective emptiness, and flourishing. Data were analyzed using multiple regression and bootstrapped mediation models (PROCESS v4.0). Results: Strength use strongly predicted flourishing (β = .58, p < .001). Authentic living (β = .30, p < .001) and emptiness (β = –.19, p < .001) partially mediated this relationship, whereas external influence and self-alienation were non-significant. Gender did not significantly predict flourishing. The model explained 71.9% of the variance in flourishing. Conclusions: Findings highlight strength use as a robust predictor of flourishing, with authenticity and emptiness serving as key mechanisms. Implications include embedding strengths-based, authenticity-supportive, and meaning-focused interventions into higher education curricula and counseling services, tailored to cultural contexts.