The Mediating Role of Resilience in the Relationship Between Positive Emotionality, Perceived Social Support, and Psychological Well-Being Among University Students: A Mixed-Methods Study

University students worldwide face significant stressors affecting their psychological well-being, yet there is a need for a more comprehensive understanding of how individual emotional strengths, social resources, and adaptive capacities interact, particularly within diverse cultural contexts such as Mainland China. This mixed-methods study addresses this gap by investigating the relationships among positive emotionality, perceived social support, resilience, and psychological well-being in a sample of 564 undergraduate students from Mainland China. Utilizing both quantitative and qualitative approaches, the research provides a comprehensive exploration of how these factors contribute to students’ well-being. Quantitative data were analyzed using Pearson correlations and structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the hypothesized mediation model. The SEM results revealed that both positive emotionality and perceived social support significantly predicted psychological well-being, with resilience serving as a partial mediator for both relationships within the integrated model. Positive emotionality had a direct effect on well-being, with resilience accounting for 41.6% of its total impact, while perceived social support explained 43.8% of its effect through resilience. The qualitative phase, based on thematic analysis of 32 semi-structured interviews, offered deeper insights into these relationships, highlighting key themes such as emotional regulation, the role of relational support networks, resilience development through academic challenges, and proactive mental health practices. The findings have both theoretical and practical implications, particularly in supporting the development of resilience-building interventions for university students.