Configurational pathways associated with flourishing among Russian university students: an exploratory fsQCA study of transilience in a permacrisis context

Introduction Prolonged adversity (permacrisis) presents novel demands for young adults, shifting focus from deficit-oriented mental health models to understanding how positive transformation occurs. Transilience, distinguished from resilience by its focus on systemic reorganization rather than homeostatic return to baseline, defines the perceived capacity to persist, adapt flexibly, and transform positively amid sustained threats. However, little is known about how specific combinations of these components relate to mental health outcomes. Methods A preliminary qualitative conceptualization (grounded theory) with 27 students purposively selected for narratives of positive transformation in response to crisis first informed the transilience model and its survey operationalization; fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis was then applied to a separate sample of Russian university students (N = 146) to test two hypotheses: (H1) transformability is consistently present across multiple equifinal configurations associated with flourishing; (H2) configurational structures differ depending on whether students appraise permacrisis aspects as major threats or manageable challenges. Results Five equifinal configurations were consistently associated with flourishing (solution coverage = 0.804, consistency = 0.849). No single condition was necessary and multiple pathways were identified. The H1 prediction regarding the universal presence of transformability was not supported across the full set of solutions. Transformability did not enter the socially-mediated pathways but was consistently present in autonomous configurations. Cross-group analyses further supported H2; students’ stressor appraisal was associated with qualitatively different configurational solutions to well-being, even within the same macro-context. Conclusion This configurational analysis examined transilience as a complex, multi-component construct by identifying several distinct configurations associated with flourishing rather than a single universal pattern, informing program design and theoretical advancement. The consistent co-occurrence of transformability within autonomous configurations is compatible with a compensatory account, which we advance as a hypothesis for future longitudinal research.