“Agentic fuel” and “Social dividends”: a mixed-methods explanatory study of optimism as a mediator between gratitude, mindfulness, and psychological wellbeing among Chinese university EFL students

Key Points

• Optimism significantly enhances psychological wellbeing among students, linking gratitude and mindfulness to positive outcomes.
• Mindfulness creates a supportive mental environment for developing optimism, facilitating improved wellbeing levels.
• Gratitude not only fosters optimism for future benefits but also enhances relational aspects of current psychological wellbeing.
• Targeted interventions can effectively harness these psychological mechanisms to boost overall student wellbeing.