Bridging theory and practice in holistic wellbeing education: Participant feedback on a 7DHW-based course

  • Inês Santos Silva orcid

    2256c.health Unipessoal LDA, 1269-039 Lisbon, Portugal
  • Frank Schifferdecker-Hoch

    2256c.health Unipessoal LDA, 1269-039 Lisbon, Portugal

    FPZ GmbH, 50968 Cologne, Germany
  • Luísa Soares

    Departmento de Psicologia, Faculdade de Artes e Humanidades (FAH), Universidade da Madeira, 9020-105 Funchal, Portugal
Article ID: 4050
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59400/apr4050
Keywords: holistic wellbeing, 7DHW, wellbeing education, participant feedback, workplace wellbeing, adult learning, health knowledge

Abstract

Holistic wellbeing has gained increasing attention across health, organizational, and educational contexts, reflecting its multidimensional and context-dependent nature. The 7 Dimensions of Holistic Wellbeing (7DHW) framework conceptualizes wellbeing as the dynamic interplay between self-esteem, body image, social relationships, environment, meaningful work, health knowledge, and a sense of future. While prior research has focused on the theoretical development and initial validation of the 7DHW model, limited attention has been given to participants’ perceptions of holistic wellbeing education grounded in this framework. This study explores participants’ opinions and feedback regarding a holistic wellbeing course based on the 7DHW model. Using a cross-sectional, exploratory design, data were collected via an online questionnaire that included both quantitative and open-ended items. The instrument assessed perceived relevance, thematic interests, preferred learning formats, and motivational and contextual factors influencing participation. Findings indicate a high perceived relevance of holistic wellbeing training, with strong interest in stress management, work–life balance, emotional communication, burnout prevention, and self-care. Participants favored flexible and interactive formats, including short videos, interactive modules, and live sessions. Qualitative insights reveal that engagement is shaped by the interplay of intrinsic motivation, time constraints, and organizational support. Overall, the results highlight that the effectiveness of holistic wellbeing programs depends not only on theoretical grounding but also on perceived relevance, accessibility, and alignment with participants’ lived experiences. This study provides evidence-informed insights to guide the design and implementation of holistic wellbeing courses grounded in the 7DHW framework.

Published
2026-05-13
How to Cite
Silva, I. S., Schifferdecker-Hoch, F., & Soares, L. (2026). Bridging theory and practice in holistic wellbeing education: Participant feedback on a 7DHW-based course. Applied Psychology Research, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.59400/apr4050
Issue
Vol. 5 No. 1 (2026)
Section
Article

Copyright (c) 2026 Inês Santos Silva, Frank Schifferdecker-Hoch, Luísa Soares

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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