Managing Student Well-Being in Disability-Inclusive Higher Education: Psychological Distress, Life Satisfaction, and Positive Emotions in Malaysia

Abstract

Disability-inclusive higher education requires accessible learning and coordinated approaches to student well-being. This simulation-based cross-sectional study examined psychological distress, life satisfaction, and positive emotions using 200 synthetic student profiles derived from a questionnaire designed for students with disabilities in Malaysian higher education. Composite scores, Cronbach’s alpha, Pearson correlations, and HC3-robust multiple regression were used. Distress was moderate (M = 2.77, SD = 0.58), whereas life satisfaction (M = 3.42, SD = 0.53) and positive emotions (M = 3.37, SD = 0.56) were above the scale midpoint. Reliability was good (α = .85–.88). Distress correlated negatively with life satisfaction (r = −.577) and positive emotions (r = −.535), while life satisfaction correlated positively with positive emotions (r = .388; all p < .001). Institutional and peer–lecturer support predicted lower distress, whereas financial and ICT barriers predicted higher distress. Accessibility predicted life satisfaction, and digital confidence, openness to change, digital skills, and social support predicted positive emotions. The model supports integrating disability services with counselling, financial assistance, and digital accessibility. Because the records are synthetic, the estimates are methodological demonstrations rather than empirical evidence.