STUDENTS’ SUBJECTIVE AND OBJECTIVE WELL-BEING: A BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

The transition to university life represents a critical stage marked by academic, social, and emotional changes that directly influence students’ well-being. This article presents a bibliographic analysis of research on students’ subjective and objective well-being published between 2004 and 2024, based on data from the Scopus database. The study aimed to identify key trends, geographical distribution, and conceptual structures in this field, applying the PRISMA methodology for systematic selection and VOSviewer for bibliometric mapping. Out of 9,786 initial records, 538 studies met the inclusion criteria. The results revealed a steady growth of research interest, particularly after 2020, reflecting heightened global attention to students’ mental health, academic environment, and social support. Western Europe and North America dominate publication activity, while emerging contributions from Asia and Central Asia indicate increasing globalization of the topic. The conceptual analysis identified three main research clusters: psychological well-being, academic and educational factors, and social-contextual dimensions. The findings underscore the interdisciplinary nature of student well-being research and its vital role in shaping educational quality and psychological sustainability