JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Life at university provides important opportunities for personal growth, however, this developmental phase also coincides with the peak period of risk for onset of mental health disorders. In addition, specific university lifestyle factors, including impaired sleep and academic and financial stress, are known to exacerbate psychological distress in students. As a result, university students have been identified as a vulnerable population who often experience significant barriers to accessing psychological treatment. Digital psychological interventions are emerging as a promising solution for this population, but their effectiveness remains unclear.

Objective:

This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed digital interventions targeting Psychological Well-Being (PWB) for university students.

Methods:

Database searches were conducted 02.12.2021 via EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science.

Results:

Thirteen eligible studies were identified; 10 included in a meta-analysis. Mean pre-post effect sizes indicated such interventions led to small and significant PWB improvement (g=0.32, 95% CIs 0.23 to 0.40, P<.001). These effects remained, albeit smaller, when studies which included a waitlist control group were excluded (g=0.22, 95% CIs 0.08 to 0.35, P=0.002). An analysis of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy approaches revealed small and significant effects (k=6, g=0.35, 95% CIs 0.25 to 0.45, P<.001).

Conclusions:

Online interventions hold considerable promise for university students, although features that optimise service delivery and outcome require further assessment. Clinical Trial: PROSPERO Trial Registration: CRD42020196654