Well-Being as a predictor of academic success in student veterans and factor validation of the PERMA + 4 well-being measurement scale

: The study sought to test whether well-being predicts academic performance for student service members/veterans (SSM/Vs) and to assess the factor structure of the PERMA + 4 measurement scale for use in this student population. : Post-9/11 SSM/Vs ( = 199) from seven colleges and universities in the U.S. completed an online survey. : A cross-sectional survey research design was used to assess PERMA + 4 and academic success. The PERMA + 4 framework and the measurement scale were examined using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and logistic regressions to determine if PERMA + 4 predicted academic performance in SSM/Vs. Findings indicate that PERMA + 4 is a predictor of SSM/Vs academic performance, and CFA confirmed the factor structure of PERMA + 4 for use with SSM/Vs. The findings suggest that screening for the building blocks of well-being in SSM/Vs with a validated and comprehensive multidimensional instrument could be useful for mitigating transition challenges into college life and informing appropriate supports.