Holistic Wellness Frameworks in Higher Education: A Systematic Review of Impact on Student Well-being and Academic Outcomes

Objective: To examine the impact of holistic wellness frameworks on undergraduate students’ well-being, academic performance (GPA), and graduation rates, and to understand student perceptions and engagement factors with programs in higher education. Background: Undergraduate students face increasing issues like mental health challenges, sleep deprivation, and inadequate physical activity, which significantly impede academic potential and well-being. Although the military’s H2F framework successfully enhances readiness across five integrated pillars, a systematic exploration of a similarly crafted civilian program’s direct influence on student outcomes in higher education remains largely unaddressed. Methods: A structured electronic search following PRISMA 2020 guidelines across PubMed, GoogleScholar, PacificScholar, and Scopus identified 15 relevant studies published between January 2015 and June 2025. Results: Integrating H2F-like frameworks increased student well-being and showed improvements in psychological well-being, optimism, and positive relationships between spirituality and well-being. Though direct, long-term evidence on GPA was limited, interventions showed an indirect link to academic performance, mediated by enhanced well-being. Students viewed programs as highly relevant. Perceived personal benefit, convenience, and incentives were facilitating factors. However, lack of time and low motivation hindered engagement, particularly for web-based interventions. This systematic review proposes the Holistic Freshman Readiness (HFR) program as a model for future rigorous, longitudinal trials. Disclaimer: The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the U.S. Army Medical Department, the U.S. Army Office of the Surgeon General, the Department of the Army, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.