A conservation of resources perspective on psychological well-being: a study of Malaysian public research universities

The rapid transformation of higher education has reshaped the academic landscape worldwide, presenting both opportunities and challenges for institutions. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effect of self-compassion, mindfulness, and psychological capital on psychological well-being among academic staff in Malaysian public research universities. A cross-sectional survey (n = 257) was conducted from August 2024 to October 2024 using stratified and simple random sampling across five Malaysian public research universities. The hypotheses were analyzed using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). Most academic staff involved were female (65.76%), aged between 40 and 49 years (31.91%), with the majority holding a doctorate (73.93%) and identified as Malay (73.54%). The findings demonstrated that mindfulness significantly and positively affects self-compassion. Both mindfulness and self-compassion positively affect psychological capital, and psychological capital positively affects psychological well-being. The mediator role of psychological capital in the relationship between self-compassion and psychological well-being was also confirmed in this study. These results contributed valuable insights into the various personal resources that enhanced academic staff’s psychological well-being amidst their dynamic challenges. Furthermore, this study suggests that policymakers and universities can implement multiple coping strategies to cultivate their personal resources, thereby contributing to the sustainability of higher education institutions.