Perceived Institutional Support and Psychological Well-Being Among International Students in Universities in India: The Mediating Role of Student Engagement

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63608/ssj.4066

Keywords:

Perceived institutional support, psychological wellbeing, student engagement, PLS-SEM, international students, Indian higher education

Abstract

This study examines the relationships among perceived institutional support (PIS), student engagement (SE), and psychological well-being (PWB) among international students in Indian higher education. Data were collected via an online survey from 201 international students and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). PIS had a significant positive relation with SE, which in turn strongly predicted PWB. The direct association of PIS on PWB was negative and non-significant, indicating a suppression-type full mediation. SE amplifies rather than merely transmits the benefit of institutional support through a suppression-type full mediation. Personal growth (outer loading = .793) and self-acceptance (.807) emerged as the dominant well-being dimensions responsive to institutional action. These findings suggest that Indian higher education institutions will generate stronger psychological returns by investing in engagement-centered strategies: structured peer mentoring, intercultural learning communities, and achievement recognition programs, rather than relying on passive resource provision alone.

 

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Ahmed Aliyi Mohammed, Dire Dawa University Ethiopia

Ahmed Aliyi Mohammed is a Lecturer at the School of Management and Business Studies, Dire Dawa University, Ethiopia, and a PhD Scholar at the School of Management and Business Studies at Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, India. He is a trainer and motivational speaker, specializing in entrepreneurship, human trafficking, youth working culture, attitude and behavioral change, and life skills. His research interests focus on Psychological well-being, Learning Organization, psychological empowerment, engagement, higher education management, and student success. His current work examines the mechanisms through which Perceived Institutional Support influences Psychological Well-Being among International Students in Universities in India.

Santhosh. P Thampi, Mahatma Gandhi University Kottayam India

Dr. Santhosh. P. Thampi is Professor at School of Management and Business Studies, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam; Senate member of the University and Director of KN Raj School of Economics. He was awarded Ph. D in Management by University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram and has MBA, MTM, M. Phil, B. Tech, PG Diploma in HRM and Diploma in Rail Transport and Management. He has produced 11 Ph. D, guiding 7 Research Scholars, Mentor to 1 Post Doctoral Fellow and guided 23 M. Phil (Management) candidates. He has published 3 books, 60 papers in journals and Conference Proceedings, and 12 chapters in books. He has done 12 Educational Video Programmes for the Consortium for Educational Communication – CEC under the University Grants Commission of India and 92 Video Programmes for the Online MBA programme of Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam. He has served in various positions at Mahatma Gandhi University like Syndicate member; Member of Internal Quality Assurance Cell; Member of Research Committee; Head of the Department of School of Management and Business Studies; Director of Planning and Development; Hon. Director Inter University Centre for Organic Farming and Sustainable Agriculture (IUCOFSA); National Service Scheme Coordinator; and Convenor of Choice based credit system Advisory Committee. He introduced the MOOC course on Organic Farming and served as the University Coordinator for the course. He was the line producer for the feature film - ‘Trip’, produced by Mahatma Gandhi University creations in 2019. He was the Convener of Jaivam 2017, Organic Farming Literacy Project, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam. He is a member of the Board of Studies in Management at various Universities.  His areas of interest are Organisational Behaviour, Consumer Behaviour, Tourism destination management and Eco-friendly construction management. He has visited Germany, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, and Sri Lanka.

Downloads

Published

18-07-2026

How to Cite

Mohammed, A. A., & Thampi, S. P. (2026). Perceived Institutional Support and Psychological Well-Being Among International Students in Universities in India: The Mediating Role of Student Engagement. Student Success. https://doi.org/10.63608/ssj.4066

Issue

Online First

Section

Online First

License

Copyright (c) 2022 Ahmed Aliyi Mohammed, Santhosh. P Thampi

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors retain copyright and grant the Journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution International Licence (CC BY 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.