From purpose to prosperity: the role of grit in linking meaning in life to flourishing of medical students

Background & Objective: Flourishing is a key indicator of psychological well-being, playing a significant role in the academic engagement and professional performance of medical students.Therefore, identifying the factors that contribute to flourishing is crucial.This study aimed to examine the relationship between the meaning in life and the flourishing of students while also examining the mediating role of grit. Materials & Methods:This study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional correlation design and utilized structural equation modeling for analysis.The statistical population included all students of Kashan University of Medical Sciences in 2024.Two hundred ninety-one participants were selected through stratified random sampling, proportional to their respective group sizes.Rashid and Seligman's flourishing scale, Steger's meaning in life scale, and Duckworth's short grit scale were used to collect data from 14 to 24 December 2024, and the data were analyzed by structural equation modeling using Amos-22 software.Results: Meaning in life directly predicted flourishing ( = 0.461, p < 0.001) and grit ( = 0.428, p < 0.001), and the relationship between grit and students' flourishing was positive and significant ( = 0.276, p < 0.001).Additionally, the meaning in life can indirectly influence flourishing through grit ( = 0.118, p = 0.003).Thus, it can be concluded that grit serves as a mediating factor in the relationship between meaning in life and flourishing. Conclusion:Strengthening the meaning in life in medical students can help increase their grit in stressful academic environments and ultimately improve their flourishing and academic success.Therefore, designing educational and counseling programs to enhance the meaning in life can help empower students in terms of grit and provide a basis for the further well-being of medical students.Furthermore, future studies can investigate the role of other individual and environmental variables in this process and assess the impact of meaning-seeking interventions on students' well-being.