Fostering Flourishing: Applying the 5-Elements of Systemic Wellbeing Framework to Mitigate Adjustment Disorder in College Students

The transition to college represents a significant and often overwhelming period, during which many students experience the first onset or exacerbation of mental health issues. A review of mental health trends at university counseling centers reveals that Adjustment Disorder is one of the most common diagnoses, affecting nearly one-third of students seeking services and demonstrates a consistent increase in prevalence over the past decade (Center for Collegiate Mental Health, 2024). This trend highlights the limitations of a traditional, reactive, crisis-response model of mental healthcare, which is proving insufficient to address the systemic challenges of the modern college environment. This report posits that a fundamental shift toward a proactive, preventive, public health paradigm is necessary to foster student wellbeing. The 5-Elements of Systemic Wellbeing Framework, a conceptual model derived from a comprehensive thematic analysis of over 2,000 research studies, offers a robust and actionable blueprint for this shift (Wilches, 2022). By synthesizing the framework's core principles with the specific stressors of the college experience, this analysis demonstrates how strengthening both internal psychological capacities and external environmental protective factors can serve as a potent buffer against the maladaptive stress responses characteristic of Adjustment Disorder. This report provides a detailed, element-by-element application of the framework and concludes with actionable recommendations for universities to cultivate a campus-wide culture of human flourishing, thereby reducing the institutional risk for student mental health problems and crises.