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Supporting mental health and wellbeing of university and college students: A systematic review of review-level evidence of interventions
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Aims: The review of reviews had three aims: (i) to synthesize the available evidence on interventions to improve college and university students’ mental health and wellbeing; (ii) to identify the effectiveness of interventions, and (iii) to highlight gaps in the evidence base for future study. Methods: Electronic database searches were conducted to identify reviews in English from high-income OECD countries published between 1999 and 2020. All review-level empirical studies involving post-secondary students attending colleges of further education or universities that examined interventions to improve general mental health and wellbeing were included. Articles were critically appraised using an amended version of the AMSTAR 2 tool. Evidence from the included reviews were narratively synthesized and organised by intervention types. Results: Twenty-seven reviews met the review of reviews inclusion criteria. The quality of the included reviews varied considerably. Intervention types identified included: mindfulness-based interventions, psychological interventions, psychoeducation interventions, recreation programmes, relaxation interventions, setting-based interventions, and stress management/reduction interventions. There was evidence that mindfulness-based interventions, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and interventions delivered via technology were effective when compared to a passive control. Some evidence suggested that the effects of CBT-related interventions are sustained over time. Psychoeducation interventions do not appear to be as effective as other forms of intervention, with its effects not enduring over time. Conclusions: The review of reviews located a sizeable body of evidence on specific interventions such as mindfulness and cognitive-behavioural interventions. The evidence suggests that these interventions can effectively reduce common mental health difficulties in the higher education student body. Gaps and limitations in the reviews and the underlying body of evidence have been identified. These include a notable gap in the existing body of review-level evidence on setting-based interventions, acceptance and commitment training, and interventions for students attending colleges in UK settings.
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“CBT-related interventions were also found to deliver sustained effects over time; 344”
From The Lancet Psychiatry Commission on youth mental health (2024) · cites this paper as [344]
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“Regarding higher education, a 2022 systematic review on mental health interventions in university and college settings found evidence for the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and interventions delivered via technology, whereas psychoeducation appeared to be less effective.”
From The Lancet Psychiatry Commission on youth mental health (2024) · cites this paper as [344]
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“extreme prolonged psychological distress has been linked to an increased tendency to turn to drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism, an increased risk of cardiovascular illness, and higher rates of suicide”
From A Scoping Review of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Higher Education (2024) · cites this paper as Worsley et al., 2022
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The Lancet Psychiatry Commission on youth mental health
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“For example, in 2017, 94% of universities in the UK reported an increase in demand for counselling services compared to the prior five years (Thorley 2017; Worsley, Pennington, and Corcoran 2022).”
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de Fine Licht, K. (2024) · Philosophy & Technology · doi:10.1007/s13347-024-00799-9 · Cited by 40
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Understanding how the university curriculum impacts student wellbeing: a qualitative study
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“…fi ed signi fi cant gaps in the available evidence base to inform effective approaches for university student mental health (Fernandez et al., 2016; Worsley et al., 2022), insuf fi cient capacity of counselling services to meet demand (Stallman, 2011), and poor alignment of existing services…”
Transforming mental healthcare in higher education through scalable mental health interventions
Brown, A. D., Ross, N., Sangraula, M., Laing, A., & Kohrt, B. (2023) · Global Mental Health · doi:10.1017/gmh.2023.29 · Cited by 21
“Additionally, although there is considerable evidence that interventions such as mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are effective treatments for mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression in university students (Huang et al., 2018; Worsley et al., 2022), this population does not always seek…”
McCoy, S. S., Dimler, L. M., & Rodrigues, L. (2024) · Journal of Adult Development · doi:10.1007/s10804-024-09496-5 · Cited by 33
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Yuan, Y., Yang, J., Huang, W., Hu, C., Zhang, W., & Chen, B. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1694344 · Cited by 20
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Allen, R. E., Hochard, K. D., Kannangara, C. S., & Carson, J. F. (2024) · Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.3390/bs14121146 · Cited by 22
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“Research indicates that the mental health and well-being of college students is worse than that of non-students; moreover, mental health deteriorates after starting college compared to before the commencement of studies (Worsley et al., 2022).”
Prevalence and level of stress among final-year students at a health science institute in Bangladesh
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“Cognitive interventions were recommended as the main approach to support in this area [40].”
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Factors Associated with Psychological Flexibility in Higher Education Students: A Systematic Review
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“Wellbeing education can take several forms such as one-off programmes, embedded components of courses, mindfulness, psychological psychoeducation, recreation, as well as general strategies to reduce or manage stress (Worsley, Pennington, and Corcoran 2022).”
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“…that a defi - ciency in elements contributing to overall well-being – encompassing subjective, psychological, and social dimensions – can negatively affect the normal trajectory of an individual’s mental health (Worsley et al., 2022), as well as various cognitive processes (Smith, 2018 ).”
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“A review from 2022 (Worsley et al. 2022) analyzed 26 other reviews on mental health interventions in students more broadly.”
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“In addition, at some universities, students can also benefit from interventions based on stress reduction methods through psychoeducation workshops, stress management training, and support groups (Worsley et al., 2022).”
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“Specific cognitive, behavioral, and mindfulness-based approaches have been shown to effectively reduce levels of anxiety, depression, and the physiological stress response [9-11].”
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“Recent reviews show that mindfulness and cognitive-behavioral interventions can reduce common mental health problems in higher education students, while evidence on setting-based approaches remains limited (Worsley et al., 2022).”
Häussl, A., Zwigl, I., Lackner, H., Reiter, V., Stross, T. M., Fellendorf, F. T., Schönthaler, E. M. D., Huber, M., Huber, V., Schedlberger, J., et al. (2026) · Frontiers in Virtual Reality · doi:10.3389/frvir.2026.1720655 · Cited by 5
Xu, K., Sun, Z., Dong, D., Tan, Z., Chen, J., Castagna, C., Krustrup, P., Xu, J., & Shuang, W. (2026) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0343808 · Cited by 5
“Literature has displayed that Tai Chi, an conventional mind-body intervention approach, has significant positive impacts on enhancing mental health, particularly in relieving symptoms of anxiety, and depression [3,5–7].”
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Vikhrova, E. N., & Petrovskiy, V. (2026) · Высшее образование в России · doi:10.31992/0869-3617-2025-34-12-10-32 · Cited by 2
Feasibility of Katatagan Plus as a mental health early intervention for at-risk youth
Co, T. A. C., Hechanova, M. R., Castro, E. D. B., Yusay, C., & Egusquiza, F. R. (2026) · Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health · doi:10.2989/17280583.2025.2580472 · Cited by 2
Vásquez, G. I. V., Ochoa, E. D. Q., Quizhpe, C. F. B., & Orellana, S. M. (2025) · Salud Ciencia y Tecnología · doi:10.56294/saludcyt20262366 · Cited by 3
Ravi, R. K., Baby, P., Sarate, S., Pareek, B., Krishnamurthy, D., Renitha, S., Krishnapriya, K., Ahmed, M. F., Radhakrishnan, R., & Jacob, J. (2026) · SAGE Open Nursing · doi:10.1177/23779608261471697 · Cited by 2
“…indicated that, among healthcare professionals, female students are more prone to anxiety, depression, and emotional exhaustion than male students (Worsley et al., 2022), and psychological resilience among male mental health professional tend to be greater than that of females (Özbay & Bülbül,…”
Alcopra, A. R., Fadare, S. A., Pandapatan, S. A. T., Villan, K. A., Tawasil, R. I., Cosain, H. O., & Said, A. R. (2025) · Salud, Ciencia y Tecnología · doi:10.56294/saludcyt20252656 · Cited by 2
Hargreaves, J., Cooke, B., & McKenna, J. (2025) · Education sciences · doi:10.3390/educsci15050529 · Cited by 2
University Student Mentor Experiences of the Comfort Corner Well-being Program
Whitehorne-Smith, P., Simpson, P., Hayden-Evans, M., Liu, G., Girdler, S., & Milbourn, B. (2025) · Higher Education Studies · doi:10.5539/hes.v15n2p211 · Cited by 2
“These programs involve students (mentors) who are equipped with skills in communication and well-being coaching with other students (mentees) who want to access support (Pointon-Haas et al., 2024; Worsley et al., 2022).”
Barbera, L., & Bernstein, M. J. (2025) · Pastoral Psychology · doi:10.1007/s11089-025-01204-8 · Cited by 2
“The emotional well-being of undergraduate students—the focus of the current study—remains a significant area of concern (Duffy et al., 2019; Kalkbrenner et al., 2022; Lipson et al., 2022; Worsley et al., 2022).”
Tomaino, S. C. M., Venier, E., & Cipolletta, S. (2025) · Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology · doi:10.1002/casp.70059 · Cited by 2
University student experiences of digital mental health packages
Barnwell, A. M., & Patton, R. (2025) · Journal of Further and Higher Education · doi:10.1080/0309877x.2025.2451693 · Cited by 2
“Furthermore, cCBT can be effective at reducing symptoms of depression in students (Mitchell and Dunn 2007), and interventions delivered via technology are more effective at supporting students mental health compared to passive control conditions (Worsley et al. 2022).”
Singh, M., Kardam, N., Rahmatulla, S., Laskar, N. H., & Bhattacharjee, A. (2025) · Journal of Management World · doi:10.53935/jomw.v2024i4.748 · Cited by 2
“Both institutions and policymakers, including the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), emphasise the incorporation of mental health and resilience-building initiatives in adult education to enhance learner well-being (Worsley, Pennington, & Corcoran, 2022).”
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FİLİZ, M., & Johnson, K. F. (2024) · Emerging Adulthood · doi:10.1177/21676968241266870 · Cited by 4
Manajemen Depresi Berbasis Kelompok Dukungan Sebaya pada Mahasiswa Kesehatan
As, A., Padad, A., & Jauhar, M. (2024) · Jurnal Inovasi Penelitian dan Pengabdian Masyarakat · doi:10.53621/jippmas.v4i1.287 · Cited by 2
“Terapi yang dapat dilakukan pada pasien depresi adalah melakukan intervensi psikoedukasi dan terapi perilaku ( cognitive behavior therapy ) (Worsley et al., 2022).”
BackgroundBrooke‐Sumner, C., Machisa, M., Sikweyiya, Y. M., & Mahlangu, P. (2024) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2023-080629 · Cited by 1
Browning, M. E., Lloyd‐Richardson, E. E., Trisal, A. V., Kelleher, V. G., Kayyal, M. H., & Scherr, A. E. S. (2023) · The Cognitive Behaviour Therapist · doi:10.1017/s1754470x23000193 · Cited by 3
“Students also face multiple barriers to mental health care access related to mental health stigma, attitudes towards mental health care, consequences, and financial, cultural and time barriers (Conley et al., 2013b; Ebert et al., 2019; Kazdin, 2019; Vidourek et al., 2014; Worsley et al., 2022).”
BackgroundReschke, T., Lobinger, T., & Reschke, K. (2023) · Frontiers in Education · doi:10.3389/feduc.2023.1130648 · Cited by 3
“Cognitive-behavioral therapy, and mindfulness- and mind-bodyoriented programs have continuously been reported to be most effective especially when lasting over several weeks (Worsley et al., 2022).”
BackgroundKakar, S., Khan, A., Saeed, S., & Katpar, S. (2026) · Journal of Global Social Transformation · doi:10.71317/jgst.2.8(s).2026.451 · Cited by 1
Han, R., Maccallum, F., Walter, Z. C., Tanksale, R., Huang, K., Alhadad, S. S. J., Beckman, E. M., Bentley, S. V., Gomersall, S. R., Hides, L. M., et al. (2026) · Mental Health & Prevention · doi:10.1016/j.mhp.2026.200552 · Cited by 1
Weng, W., Hammer, J. H., Kim, N., McDermott, R. C., Li, M., Wang, F., & Shi, X. (2026) · The Counseling Psychologist · doi:10.1177/00110000261458370 · Cited by 1
“This dual approach can serve to reshape existing norms, making professional help-seeking a socially acceptable endeavor, and simultaneously instilling confidence in the individual’s capacity to seek and benefit from professional assistance (Worsley et al., 2022).”
Lathabhavan, R., Bharti, T., Mishra, N., & Sahay, V. S. (2026) · Acta Psychologica · doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.106820 · Cited by 1
Perrella, L., Zarbo, R., Buccheri, S. L., Cuccu, S., Fadda, D., Lodi, E., Patrizi, P., Guarnera, M. A., Magnano, P., Pedditzi, M., et al. (2026) · Frontiers in Education · doi:10.3389/feduc.2026.1758453 · Cited by 1
Wang, J. (2026) · Informatica · doi:10.31449/inf.v50i8.11347 · Cited by 1
“As an effective MBI practice, mindfulness includes meditation and focused breathing while doing other tasks to increase present-moment awareness and make a concerted effort to mitigate stressors [20].”
Franzoi, I. G., Sauta, M. D., Luca, A. D., & Granieri, A. (2025) · Journal of Further and Higher Education · doi:10.1080/0309877x.2025.2601754
“Consistent with literature, interventions were most commonly administered by psychologists, psychotherapists, and counselors (Barnett et al. 2021; Cerolini et al. 2023; Pizzo et al. 2024; Worsley, Pennington, and Corcoran 2022).”
Bastien, L., Cho, S., Petrovic, J., Khoury, B., Bloom, E. L., & Heath, N. L. (2025) · Internet Interventions · doi:10.1016/j.invent.2025.100868 · Cited by 1
Park, J., Zhou, A. Q., Chu, S., & Lee, S. (2025) · Theory and Practice · doi:10.1080/00405841.2025.2528548 · Cited by 1
“For example, psychoeducational interventions grounded in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or mind-fulness techniques have demonstrated effectiveness in improving mental health outcomes over and above non-evidence based interventions (Worsley et al., 2022).”
Ferreira, A., Xavier, S., Caetano, S., Marques, M., Martins, J., Queirós, A., & Martins, M. J. (2025) · The Psychologist · doi:10.33525/5c62xv54 · Cited by 1
“Literature has widely shown the efficacy of contextual approaches to emotional difficulties in academic contexts (Worsley et al., 2022; Howell & Passmore, 2019).”
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Mocquot, C. (2025) · Hegel · doi:10.3917/heg.151.0073 · Cited by 1
Böke, B. N., Mettler, J., Bastien, L., Cho, S., & Heath, N. L. (2025) · JMIR Mental Health · doi:10.2196/74205 · Cited by 1
“To date, efforts aimed at improving student mental health and well-being in university settings have included a wide variety of interventions targeting stress [23], depression [24], anxiety [6], resilience [25], and general mental health and well-being [26].”
Soares, A. R., Soares, S., Brandão, T., Teixeira, R. J., & Tavares, I. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1422205 · Cited by 1
“A recent systematic review of review-level evidence of interventions in university students, including medical students, showed that mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) reduce common mental health challenges (Worsley et al., 2022).”
Lee, J., Lee, J. M., Kim, J., & Shamrova, D. (2025) · Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment · doi:10.1080/10911359.2025.2473626 · Cited by 1
“Mindfulness interventions, cognitive-behavioral approaches, and animal-assisted therapies have been studied as ways to enhance awareness and emotional coping skills among college students (Burgon, 2011; Tekin & Satan, 2024; Worsley et al., 2022).”
Buhari, O. N., Olalusi, K., Alatishe-Muhammad, B., Ajokpaniovo, M., Ogunmodede, A., & Bolarinwa, A. (2024) · Nigerian Medical Journal · doi:10.60787/nmj-v65i3.538 · Cited by 1
“7,8 7 There is compelling evidence that therapies such as skill practice and mindfulness Currently the program incorporates preventive education such as enlightenment programs on campus, workshops on stress management, resilience building and coping strategies, improving the skills of the…”
Baker, E. A., Canan, C., & Downing, M. (2024) · Journal of American College Health · doi:10.1080/07448481.2024.2400108 · Cited by 1
“13 Not only do these support services help students navigate challenges and build healthy lifestyles, but they also help foster inclusion and community to create a sense of belonging and encourage help-seeking behaviors.”
Liverpool, S., Fletcher, K., Chopra, T. K., Jay, D., Walters, F., & Kaye, L. K. (2024) · Mental Health and Digital Technologies · doi:10.1108/mhdt-07-2024-0015 · Cited by 1
Metadata
- Authors
- Worsley, J. D., Pennington, A., & Corcoran, R.
- Affiliations
- University of Liverpool (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Worsley, Joanne Deborah
- Venue
- PLOS ONE
- Publisher
- Public Library of Science (PLoS)
- Published
- 2022-07-29
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- e0266725
- ISSN
- 1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC9337666
- OpenAlex
- W4288703165
- Cited by
- 205
- References
- 55
- Citations by year
- 2026: 64 · 2025: 61 · 2024: 42 · 2023: 33 · 2022: 5
- FWCI
- 7.18
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- PLoS ONE (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and partners
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Student Stress and Coping
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Keywords
- student mental health, student well-being, university students, mental health interventions, mindfulness-based interventions, cognitive behavioral therapy, psychoeducation, relaxation intervention, stress management, technology-based interventions, intervention effectiveness, evidence gaps, acceptance and commitment training
- MeSH terms
- Humans, Mental Health, Students, Universities, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness
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