Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36169988›Full record

SynthesisJournal of medical Internet research2022

Digital Interventions for Psychological Well-being in University Students: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Madeleine Ferrari, Stephanie Allan, Chelsea Arnold, Dina Eleftheriadis, Mario Alvarez-Jimenez, Andrew Gumley, John F Gleeson

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of medical Internet research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 39 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
39citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
13.1field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

39 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 76 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Madeleine FerrariHealthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, Australian Catholic University, Sydney, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-1824-6661
Stephanie AllanSchool of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-1016-0708
Chelsea ArnoldHealthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-0839-2304
Dina EleftheriadisHealthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-0671-8422
Mario Alvarez-JimenezCentre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-3535-9086
Andrew GumleySchool of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-8888-938X
John F GleesonHealthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-7969-492X
Australian Catholic University · AUUniversity of Glasgow · GBThe University of Melbourne · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLife at university provides important opportunities for personal growth; however, this developmental phase also coincides with the peak period of risk for the 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.

objectiveThis systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess digital interventions targeting psychological well-being among university students.

methodsDatabase searches were conducted on December 2, 2021, via Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science.

resultsA total of 13 eligible studies were identified, 10 (77%) of which were included in the meta-analysis. Mean pre-post effect sizes indicated that such interventions led to small and significant improvement in psychological well-being (Hedges g=0.32, 95% CI 0.23-0.4; P<.001). These effects remained, albeit smaller, when studies that included a wait-list control group were excluded (Hedges g=0.22, 95% CI 0.08-0.35; P=.002). An analysis of acceptance and commitment therapy approaches revealed small and significant effects (k=6; Hedges g=0.35, 95% CI 0.25-0.45; P<.001).

conclusionsDigital psychological interventions hold considerable promise for university students, although features that optimize service delivery and outcomes require further assessment.

trial registrationPROSPERO CRD42020196654; https:/www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=196654.

Indexed as

Acceptance and Commitment TherapyMental DisordersHumansPsychosocial InterventionStudentsUniversitiescollege studentsdigital interventionhigher education studentsmental healthmeta-analysismobile phonepsychological well-beingsystematic reviewuniversity studentsweb-based intervention

Identifiers

PMID36169988
PMCPMC9557766
OpenAlexW4292178898

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.