This work presents a systematic documentary review for the development of a frame of reference on the psychological factors of university students in relation to the pre-pandemic quality of life. Psychological factors are understood as psychological well-being and present the development of individual capabilities and human growth from self-acceptance, autonomy, positive relationships, life purpose and personal growth, which reflect attitudes and values of people, which are directly related to their quality of life. Likewise, it is evident in the literature that the stage of university life is framed by biopsychosocial changes that establish it as a period of attention for mature development and is considered as a transition for the later stages of the human life cycle. In this sense, from an ecological theory perspective, the environment in which people relate has a direct influence on their formative development (Bronfenbrenner, 1987), since the levels of environment in which they are immersed determine positive or negative behavior, affecting their social and cultural conditions (Shelton, 2019). Therefore, changes in behavior are associated with some risk factors that can affect the health and quality of life of university students. The methodological approach used is focused on a descriptive qualitative study, through a systematic documentary review by the PRISMA methodology (Khan et al., 2003 y Moher et al., 2009) with the main characteristics, trends and particularities existing in the literature on psychological factors in young university students. For the systematic review of this work, we chose to use the five stages called: Search, Identification, Screening, Eligibility, and Interpretation. The Search procedure was initiated from the categories of psychological factors related to the quality of life in university students and from the search equations. As a source of information, papers published in the databases of RedALyC, Scopus, Elsevier, EBSCO, Springer Link, Medline and Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection during the period between January 2015 and first half of the year 2020 were used. For the Identification stage, inclusion and exclusion criteria were elaborated considering articles published in scientific journals of psychology and health in the period covered. In the Screening stage, they found a total of 41 950 papers in 82 journals registered in the databases. The following were eliminated: 28 125 papers outside the selection period, 1 457 duplicate studies, and 11 733 articles from other disciplines. Therefore, in the Eligibility stage, 635 papers were selected for the reading of the title and summary; of these, 263 documents were chosen for the reading of the complete texts and, a total of 29 papers were left in the last stage of Interpretation for the study and analysis of the results. The results show the prevalence of quantitative studies, as well as the current interest for the moment of the life cycle of adolescence-youth in one of its developmental contexts: the university; and the psychological factors added to the contextual aspects involved in the emergence and approach of problems such as anxiety, suicidal ideation and depression. Likewise, the effect of these aspects on the perception of quality of life and psychological well-being is evident. Similarly, the concept of lifestyles emerges as a variable that acts as a product and condition in the development of students at this stage of the life cycle. Finally, categories such as emotional intelligence, resilience, and coping are shown to be inputs to formulate proposals that can favor the development of adolescents and young people. In conclusion, it is necessary to carry out more studies on psychological factors and the problems associated with them, as a reflection of the quality of life from the perspective of promoting the health of university students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]