Reviewbronze2018

Internet interventions for mental health in university students: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Mathias Harrer · Sophia Helen Adam · Harald Baumeister · Pim J. Cuijpers · Eirini Karyotaki · Randy Patrick Auerbach +4 more

444 citations0/0 files storedInternational Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research

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Digital Mental Health Interventions Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes Mental Health Treatment and Access

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Mental health disorders are highly prevalent among university students. Universities could be an optimal setting to provide evidence-based care through the Internet. As part of the World Mental Health International College Student initiative, this systematic review and meta-analysis synthesizes data on the efficacy of Internet-based interventions for university students' mental health. METHOD: A systematic literature search of bibliographical databases (CENTRAL, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO) for randomized trials examining psychological interventions for the mental health (depression, anxiety, stress, sleep problems, and eating disorder symptoms), well-being, and functioning of university students was performed through April 30, 2018. RESULTS: Forty-eight studies were included. Twenty-three studies (48%) were rated to have low risk of bias. Small intervention effects were found on depression (g = 0.18, 95% confidence interval [CI; 0.08, 0.27]), anxiety (g = 0.27, 95% CI [0.13, 0.40]), and stress (g = 0.20, 95% CI [0.02, 0.38]). Moderate effects were found on eating disorder symptoms (g = 0.52, 95% CI [0.22-0.83]) and role functioning (g = 0.41, 95% CI [0.26, 0.56]). Effects on well-being were non-significant (g = 0.15, 95% CI [-0.20, 0.50]). Heterogeneity was moderate to substantial in many analyses. After adjusting for publication bias, effects on anxiety were not significant anymore. DISCUSSION: Internet interventions for university students' mental health can have significant small-to-moderate effects on a range of conditions. However, more research is needed to determine student subsets for which Internet-based interventions are most effective and to explore ways to increase treatment effectiveness.

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References

2003Measuring inconsistency in meta-analyses 1997Bias in meta-analysis detected by a simple, graphical test 2002Quantifying heterogeneity in a meta‐analysis 2009The PRISMA Statement for Reporting Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Studies That Evaluate Health Care Interventions: Explanation and Elaboration 2008Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions 2010Conducting Meta-Analyses in R with the metafor Package 2009Introduction to Meta‐Analysis 2000Trim and Fill: A Simple Funnel‐Plot–Based Method of Testing and Adjusting for Publication Bias in Meta‐Analysis

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