Harmonizing Perspectives: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Developing a Multidimensional Theoretical Framework of Self-Care for Student Success

With an increasing emphasis on holistic student success, higher education institutions prioritize innovative strategies promoting wellness and belonging, recognizing self-care as crucial. An interdisciplinary faculty team from Kennesaw State University’s Wellstar College of Health and Human Services explored self-care literature (2013-2023) to develop a conceptual framework for self-care from a multidisciplinary perspective. Inspired by robust literature and the College’s Innovative Ecosystem for Student Success model, the team identified eight dimensions of self-care, including internal (psychological, spiritual, intellectual, physical) and external (occupational, sociocultural, financial, environmental) elements. This framework highlights self-care as fundamental to wellness and student success, encouraging future work to delineate strategies supporting these practices.