Evaluating resilience levels and their association with spiritual health and other factors among university students from South Korea and Japan; a comparative cross-sectional study

TL;DR

This study compares resilience and its factors among university students in South Korea and Japan, finding that purpose in life is strongly linked to resilience.

Contribution

The study identifies purpose in life as a key correlate of resilience and reveals differing socio-demographic and financial associations in South Korean and Japanese students.

Findings

57.1% of South Korean and 67.3% of Japanese students showed low resilience.

Purpose in life was positively associated with resilience in both countries.

Financial satisfaction had inverse effects on resilience in Japanese students.

Abstract

Given the high prevalence of mental health problems among university students in South Korea and Japan, understanding and fostering their inner strengths is important. This study assessed resilience and its correlates among undergraduate students from both countries.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Wonju City (South Korea) and Bunkyo City (Japan) using an online questionnaire. The survey included validated instruments: the 14-item Resilience Scale and the 20-item Purpose in Life (PIL) Scale. A total of 598 valid responses were included in the analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to assess levels of resilience and spiritual health, while quantile regression was used to examine associations between resilience and spiritual health, as well as socio-demographic and lifestyle factors.

Low resilience was observed in 57.1% of South Korean students (median age 21; 71.5% female) and 67.3% of Japanese students (median age 19; 58% female). Purpose in life (PIL) was positively associated with resilience across all quantiles in both groups (Korea β = 0.53–0.62; Japan β = 0.56–0.65). Among Korean respondents, club affiliation, age, and female gender were linked to higher resilience at specific quantiles. Among Japanese respondents, financial satisfaction was inversely associated with resilience at the 25th and 50th quantiles (β = − 2.52 to − 4.76), while academic satisfaction was positively associated at the 25th quantile (β = 4.19).

Given the high prevalence of low resilience, targeted strategies to enhance resilience are needed. The findings highlight purpose in life as a key positive correlate, alongside sociodemographic and financial factors with variable effects across resilience levels.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-025-24738-1.

Figures