Objective: 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. Participants: Post-9/11 SSM/Vs (N = 199) from seven colleges and universities in the U.S. completed an online survey. Methods: 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. Results: 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. Conclusions: 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.
Keywords: PERMA; PERMA + 4; Student veterans; positive psychology; well-being.