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Journal of Modern Foreign Psychology
2026. Vol. 15, no. 1, 68–84
doi:10.17759/jmfp.2026150106
ISSN: 2304-4977 (online)

Factors of Students’ Psychological Well-Being: A Systematic Review

 
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Abstract

Context and relevance. The psychological well-being of students has become a key priority in the university environment, as it is closely linked to successful adaptation, academic performance, and mental health. Despite the growing number of studies in this field, there is still no systematic understanding of the factors that influence different aspects of student well-being. Objective. To identify which variables are associated with student well-being and determine whether they are related to hedonic or eudaimonic well-being. Methods and materials. A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA protocol. The literature search was performed in the SCOPUS database covering the period from 2000 to 2024. Thirteen empirical studies were selected based on inclusion criteria: university student samples, a clear definition of the well-being construct, use of validated measurement tools, and available data on the relationship between variables and well-being. Results. Four groups of factors associated with well-being were identified: personality traits, situational difficulties faced by students, social support and sense of belonging to the university, and the university environment. Conclusions. The findings emphasize the importance of a comprehensive approach to student support. Interventions aimed at developing eudaimonic well-being—autonomy, meaning, purpose, and growth—can strengthen students’ resilience to stress and enhance the effectiveness of their educational experience.

 

General Information

Keywords: well-being, students, hedonic approach, eudaimonic approach, university environment, systematic review

Journal rubric: Psychology of Special and Inclusive Education

Article type: review article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/jmfp.2026150106

Funding. The research has been supported by the Development Program of Tomsk State University (Priority 2030).

Supplemental data.  

Received 30.05.2025

Revised 07.10.2025

Accepted

Published

For citation: Maiukova, E.V., Kudryashov, M.R., Gorbunova, E.V., Kobzeva, A.S. (2026). Factors of Students’ Psychological Well-Being: A Systematic Review. Journal of Modern Foreign Psychology, 15(1), 68–84. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.17759/jmfp.2026150106

© Maiukova E.V., Kudryashov M.R., Gorbunova E.V., Kobzeva A.S., 2026

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

A Part of Article

 

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Appendix

Appendix A. Table of studies included in the systematic review

No.

 

Author, Year

 

Article Title

 

Country

Data and Sample

 

Methods

 

Instrument (Test)

 

Type of Well-being

 

Factors Related to Well-being

 

Conclusions

 

1

Xu J., Choi M., 2023

Can Emotional Intelligence Increase the Positive Psychological Capital and Life Satisfaction of Chinese University Students?

South Korea

708 students from 8 universities in two provinces of South Korea

 

Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)

 

SWLS

Hedonic well-being

 

Participation in cultural and artistic activities

 

Students’ participation in cultural and artistic activities is positively associated with their life satisfaction

 

2

Huang, L., Zhang, T, 2022

Perceived Social Support, Psychological Capital, and Subjective Well-Being among College Students in the Context of Online Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic

China

515 students from various universities in China (volunteer sample)

 

Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)

 

SWLS, PANAS

Hedonic well-being

 

Perceived social support

 

Perceived social support has a significant positive association with life satisfaction and positive affect, and a significant negative association with negative affect

 

3

Herrera N. et al., 2017

The role of perceived educational environment and high school generation on Mexican American female community college students' emic well-being

United States

 

160 Latino/a students from a public two-year college

 

Regression analysis, mediation analysis, moderation analysis

 

The Latina/o Well-being scale

Hedonic well-being

 

Active coping strategies, perception of the environment

 

Perception of the college environment plays a key role in understanding the emotional well-being of Mexican American women. In particular, the relationship between active coping strategies and emotional well-being becomes more evident when their attitudes toward the educational environment are taken into account

4

Chow K.M. et al., 2018

Resilience and well-being of university nursing students in Hong Kong: A cross-sectional study

China

 

678 undergraduate and postgraduate nursing students at the Chinese University of Hong Kong

 

Correlation analysis, mean comparison, regression analysis

 

WHO-5

Hedonic well-being

 

Resilience

 

There is a moderate positive relationship between resilience and well-being among healthcare students. Moreover, resilience is an important factor influencing the perception of well-being in this group of students

5

Berger, S., Freund, A., 2012

Fear of failure, disorganization, and subjective well-being in the context of preparing for an exam

Switzerland

 

280 first-, second-, and third-year undergraduate students at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich

 

Correlation analysis, mean comparison, SEM

 

MDMQ (short version)

 

Hedonic well-being

 

Fear of failure

 

A higher level of fear at the beginning of exam preparation led to a deterioration in emotional state throughout the process, which ultimately reduced overall well-being by the end of the preparation period. Although fear of failure was a significant predictor of changes in emotional well-being, well-being itself did not have a reciprocal effect on the level of fear

6

Rathi, N., Lee, K., 2018

Core self-evaluations, worry, life satisfaction, and psychological well-being: An investigation in the Asian context

South Korea

 

228 senior undergraduate students at a South Korean university

 

Regression analysis, SEM, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA)

 

SWLS

Hedonic well-being

 

Self-esteem

 

Higher levels of core self-evaluations increase life satisfaction and psychological well-being while simultaneously reducing anxiety levels. Individuals with high core self-evaluations are more likely to be satisfied with their lives and to have higher psychological well-being than those with low core self-evaluations

7

Bottomley et al., 2024

Gender and the Social Cure in Undergraduate Physics Students: Physics Identity, Self-efficacy, Belonging, and Wellbeing

United Kingdom

 

310 undergraduate students studying physics

 

Regression analysis, mean comparison

 

GP-CORE survey

Hedonic and eudaimonic well-being

 

Self-efficacy, sense of belonging

 

Among men, sense of belonging showed a significant positive correlation with well-being and had a significant effect in the regression model. Among women, this relationship was weaker and did not reach statistical significance in the regression analysis; however, self-efficacy is a key factor of well-being

8

Zhu Y. et al., 2024

Paths to Autonomous Motivation and Well-being: Understanding the Contribution of Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction in Health Professions Students

etherlands

202 first-year undergraduate students

SEM

WHO-5

Hedonic well-being

Satisfaction of the need for relatedness (sense of belonging and importance to others) and competence (perceived ability to perform tasks)

Satisfaction of the need for relatedness (sense of belonging and importance to others) and competence (perceived ability to perform tasks) was positively associated with students’ well-being

9

Al Balushi M.K. et al., 2024

Strategic University Positioning: Fostering Student Satisfaction and Well-being

Oman

385 undergraduate and postgraduate students

CFA, SEM

EVWB

Hedonic well-being

Learning environment, university reputation, and career prospects

Student satisfaction is a central factor linking university positioning and student well-being. Students who are satisfied with learning conditions, social support, and future prospects tend to have higher levels of well-being

10

Zhang Y. et al., 2023

Appreciation of differences: promoting diversity and flourishing among college students

United States

359 students enrolled in “Introduction to Psychology,” Diversity Science, and Cultural Psychology courses (volunteer sample)

SEM

The Flourishing Scale

Hedonic and eudaimonic well-being

Diversity-seeking behavior

Among all components of diversity-seeking behavior, only Relativistic Appreciation (the ability to value both cultural differences and similarities, understanding their role in self-knowledge and personal growth) is associated with flourishing

11

Schettino G., Marino L., Capone V., 2022

The Impact of University-Related Variables on Students’ Perceived Employability and Mental Well-Being: An Italian Longitudinal Study

Italy

301 university students

Correlation analysis, path analysis

MHC-SF

Hedonic and eudaimonic well-being

Career ambitions, university reputation, sense of belonging to the university, technostress

Career ambitions, university reputation, sense of belonging to the university, and technostress showed significant associations with students’ well-being

12

Хачатурова М.Р., Ерофеева В.Г., Бардадымов В.А., 2022

Students' Mindset and Subjective Well-being during the Period of “Emerging Adulthood”

Russia

317 university students, aged 16–30

Correlation analysis, mean comparison (group)

SWLS, PWI, MHC

Hedonic and eudaimonic well-being

Growth-oriented mindset (growth mindset)

Students with a growth-oriented mindset show better academic performance and higher well-being compared to those with a fixed mindset

13

Larcombe, W., Baik, C., & Finch, S., 2021

Exploring course experiences that predict psychological distress and mental wellbeing in Australian undergraduate and graduate coursework students

Australia

4,575 undergraduate and postgraduate students

Regression analysis

SWLS, SPWB

Hedonic and eudaimonic well-being

Autonomous motivation, peer engagement, feeling of not belonging, assessment stress, limited English language skills, financial difficulties, worry about future employment, teacher autonomy support

Autonomous motivation and peer engagement are positively associated with both eudaimonic and hedonic well-being, enhancing psychological well-being (PWB) and life satisfaction (SWL). Feeling of not belonging, assessment stress, limited English skills, financial difficulties, and worry about future employment negatively affect both types of well-being. Only hedonic well-being (SWL) is positively associated with teacher autonomy support
 

Information About the Authors

Ekaterina V. Maiukova, Research Assistant at the Center of Sociology of Higher Education, Institute of Education, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russian Federation, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8651-5851, e-mail: emaiukova@hse.ru

Maksim R. Kudryashov, master student at the Institute of Education, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russian Federation, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-7957-2598, e-mail: mrkudriashov@edu.hse.ru

Elena V. Gorbunova, Senior Lecturer, Institute of Education, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russian Federation, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5090-3388, e-mail: evgorbunova@hse.ru

Anna S. Kobzeva, Candidate of Science (Psychology), Junior Researcher at the Center of Sociology of Education, Institute of Education, National Research Tomsk State University, Russian Federation, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1871-1756, e-mail: an.kobzevaa@gmail.com

Contribution of the authors

E.V. Maiukova — formulation of the research query, article selection, writing of the introduction and discussion
M.R. Kudryashov — article selection, description of research results, writing of the introduction and discussion
E.V. Gorbunova — article selection, description of research results
A.S. Kobzeva — article selection, description of research results
All authors participated in the discussion of the results and approved the final text of the manuscript.

 

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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