Mental well-being has become an increasingly important factor in higher education because it directly influences students’ academic engagement, motivation, emotional resilience, and overall learning outcomes. At the same time, self-directed learning has emerged as a fundamental competency that enables students to independently plan, monitor, and evaluate their educational progress in technology-driven and flexible learning environments. Universities worldwide are placing greater emphasis on developing both psychological well-being and autonomous learning skills to prepare students for lifelong learning and professional success.
This study investigates the relationship between mental well-being and self-directed learning behaviors using a quantitative cross-sectional research design. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 320 undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled in public and private universities. The study employed a five-point Likert scale to measure psychological well-being, learning autonomy, intrinsic motivation, academic self-regulation, time management, and learning persistence
The findings reveal that students with higher levels of psychological well-being demonstrate significantly stronger self-directed learning behaviors, including improved learning autonomy, greater intrinsic motivation, effective time management, enhanced academic persistence, and stronger self-regulation. Emotional stability and psychological resilience emerged as significant predictors of independent learning and sustained academic engagement. The study concludes that promoting students’ mental well-being through counseling services, resilience-building initiatives, and learner-centered educational practices can substantially strengthen autonomous learning capabilities.