From surviving to thriving: a process–ecological model of psychological resilience in doctoral students

Background: Doctoral students worldwide face considerable mental health challenges. Predominant research, often grounded in a pathological paradigm, has treated psychological resilience as a static trait, thereby overlooking its dynamic construction and ecological embeddedness within person-environment interactions. Aim: This study explores how doctoral students in high-pressure academic settings build psychological resilience through ongoing interaction with their ecosystems to transition from a state of survival to one of thriving. Methods: Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 24 doctoral students from Chinese universities. Data were analyzed through a process of constant comparative method and iterative coding. Results: The analysis yielded a process-ecological model of psychological resilience. This model identifies a four-stage, nonlinear developmental pathway: stress perception, cognitive restructuring, strategy integration, and value transcendence. This progression is powered by a dual-engine mechanism in which meaning-making provides direction and agency activation supplies motivation, all nested within and shaped by the dynamic interplay of individual, relational, and institutional ecosystems. Conclusion: The process-ecological model frames psychological resilience as a dynamic practice that co-evolves with academic identity formation. We advocate for a fundamental paradigm shift in the doctoral student support system-from individual-level remedial interventions toward the systematic cultivation of an enabling, ecological resilience system.