ReviewInternet interventions2020
The effect of e-mental health interventions on academic performance in university and college students: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Review in Internet interventions, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 35 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
35 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for adults with substance use disorder that have a co-occurring mental health disorder: an umbrella review and illustrative cost-effectiveness analysis.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2026Pooled it
- The effectiveness of aromatherapy interventions on psychological, physiological and academic outcomes in nursing and health sciences students: a meta-analysis.BMC medical education · 2026Pooled it
- Effectiveness of digital mental health interventions for university students: an umbrella review.PeerJ · 2022Pooled it
- Examining the Acceptability and Effectiveness of a Self-Directed, Web-Based Resource for Stress and Coping in University: Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR mental health · 2026Trial
- The effect of mental health-based self-care model counseling on anxiety and depression in women with gestational diabetes: a randomized clinical trial.BMC psychiatry · 2025Trial
- A Transdiagnostic Video-Based Internet Intervention (Uni Virtual Clinic-Lite) to Improve the Mental Health of University Students: Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Trial
- Web-Based, Human-Guided, or Computer-Guided Transdiagnostic Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in University Students With Anxiety and Depression: Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR mental health · 2024Trial
- Article
- Digital Tools to Support Post-Secondary Student Mental Health and Wellbeing.Early intervention in psychiatry · 2025Article
- The Effect of Self-Care Model Counseling Based on Mental Health on Anxiety and Depression of Women With Gestational Diabetes: A Study Protocol of a Randomized Clinical Trial.Health science reports · 2025Article
- E-Mental Health Interventions in Inpatient Care: Scoping Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- A Human-Centered Approach for a Student Mental Health and Well-Being Mobile App: Protocol for Development, Implementation, and Evaluation.JMIR research protocols · 2025Article
- Digital public health interventions for the promotion of mental well-being and health behaviors among university students: a rapid review.BMC public health · 2025Review
- Dropout and completion in iCBT for university students: Insights from a thematic analysis.Internet interventions · 2025Article
- E-mental Health in the Age of AI: Data Safety, Privacy Regulations and Recommendations.Alpha psychiatry · 2025Article
- Strengthening Mental Health Though Resilience in Nursing Students: A Protocol for a Comprehensive Scoping Review.Nursing reports (Pavia, Italy) · 2024Article
- Protective Effect of Exercise Against Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Among University Students Based on Their Level of Academic Performance.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2024Article
- A systematic review and meta analysis on digital mental health interventions in inpatient settings.NPJ digital medicine · 2024Article
- Investigating social media addiction and impact of social media addiction, loneliness, depression, life satisfaction and problem-solving skills on academic self-efficacy and academic success among university students.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Use of tailoring features and reasons for dropout in a guided internet-based transdiagnostic individually-tailored cognitive behavioral therapy for symptoms of depression and/or anxiety in college students.Internet interventions · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMental health symptoms are common among college and university students and these can affect their academic performance. E-mental health interventions have proven effective in addressing mental health complaints but their effect on academic performance has not been synthesized yet.
objectivesTo synthesize the evidence from randomized controlled trials for the effectiveness of e-mental health interventions on academic performance in college and university students compared to inactive controls. DATA SOURCES AND ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: We searched six databases (PubMed, Cochrane library, CINAHL, ERIC, PsycINFO, Web of Science) during the period January 2000 until September 2019 for randomized controlled trials that reported on e-mental health interventions (guided or unguided) for college and university students and measured academic performance (e.g. grade point average). STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS
methodsStudy and participant characteristics and the academic performance measures at post-intervention were extracted. The latter were pooled and Hedges'
resultsSix studies containing 2428 participants were included in the meta-analysis. These focussed on either mood and anxiety or alcohol and tobacco use. The pooling of data resulted in a small but non-significant effect of DISCUSSION: Despite the small and non-significant effect, our meta-analysis points to a promising direction for the effectiveness of e-mental health interventions on academic performance. Yet, these results must be interpreted with caution, as heterogeneity was high and few studies on the effectiveness of e-mental health interventions for students reported academic performance measures.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.