Approaching resilience with university students: theoretical perspectives and academic practices

Abstract

Resilience in higher education is an interactive and community-based process that manifests itself in well-being, academic commitment, and student retention. The objective of this article was to systematize theoretical perspectives and academic practices on approaching resilience in university students. This article represents a frame of reference to guide comprehensive training practices in higher education. According to the data source, it is documentary research, the philosophical approach is qualitative, and the method used is Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, known as PRISMA. Literature in Spanish (2021–2025) was reviewed. Six studies were selected as address: relevance to the university context and reporting of resilience measures and/or associated categories. The main results identify three lines of action: 1) institutional, referring to teacher training, referral protocols, and goal-oriented mentoring; 2) psychosocial, highlighting the activation of support networks and coping training; and 3) academic teaching practices that support engagement and self-regulation. The most consistent instruments were CD-RISC for resilience and UWES for engagement, useful for baselines and pre-post designs. It is concluded that effectively addressing resilience requires multi-component interventions that articulate classroom, mentoring, and wellness services with standardized assessment and follow-up. Integrating these practices in the first year of college and in institutional contexts improves adaptation, well-being, and retention, and provides an operational framework for decision-making in higher education.