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- Volume 1, Issue 1 2026
By Sobia Kamran, Ghania Ikram, Afsheen Mubeen, Javeria M. Rafiq Sheikh
Keywords: Self-actualization, Undergraduate students, Pakistan, Short Index of Self-Actualization (SISA), and Personal growth
Humanistic psychology, rooted in the concept of self-actualization, reflects an individual’s ability to realize and embrace their unique inherent potential. The whole journey of personal growth is marked with so many personal psychological aspects and environmental factors. Depression, anxiety, and social factors mostly affect the self-actualization process of undergraduate students; it gives them opportunities and constraints during this period of intense academic and personal development. The present study aims to explore the landscape of self-actualization among undergraduate students of Karachi, Pakistan while identifying the important factors that help or hinder this journey. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 undergraduate students across various academic institutions in Karachi. The sample consisted of 21.6% males and 78.4% females and the age of participants spanned between 18 and 32 years. The measurement of self-actualization level was observed using SISA (the Short Index of Self-Actualization) among participants. Although students are motivated toward self-actualization, they are unable to overcome substantial barriers, however. A significant proportion of students agreed to feel very much related with the world around them (70%) and feel somewhat easy in expressing their feelings (49%). However, due to others' approbation, many indicated fear of failures and inadequacy. Education-related obstacle, particularly fear of Unemployment and curriculum issues, collectively considered as significant barriers. The undergraduate students in this study showed a very complex and often contradictory path to self-actualization. However, an inherent motivation exists, although this motivation sometimes restrains itself behind the need for outside confirmation and fear of failure. Notably, fear of unemployment emerged as a dominant barrier, underscoring the need for enhanced career support systems. It is felt that special programs initiated in educational institutions would be very useful in changing the culture within educational institutions to develop more autonomy-, resiliency, and authenticity-providing environments to enable students to realize their potential on a more complete level.
Submission Date: 29 Jun, 2025 Reviews Completed: 8 Aug, 2025Acceptance Date: 1 Sep, 2025 Publication Date: 1 Jan, 2026