SynthesisBMC psychiatry2023
A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies exploring prevalence of non-specific anxiety in undergraduate university students.
Synthesis in BMC psychiatry, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 42 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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
42 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 59 citations in OpenAlex.
- The role of self-compassion interventions in reducing anxiety and depression among university students: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC psychology · 2026Pooled it
- Prevalence and associated factors of burnout among health sciences students in Spain: a systematic review.Trends in psychiatry and psychotherapy · 2025Pooled it
- Depressive Symptoms Among Higher Education Students in Germany-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Public health reviews · 2024Pooled it
- Mood States, Physical Activity, and Sleep Quality in University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study in Educational Settings.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Patterns and Safety-Related Aspects of Antidepressant and Anxiolytic Use Among Healthcare Students and University Staff at a Brazilian Public University: A Cross-Sectional Study.Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD-7) in Ukrainian sample during wartime.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2026Article
- Article
- Side-Specific Mastication Prevalence and Its Association With Sex, Anxiety, and Somatic Symptoms: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Italian University Students.Clinical and experimental dental research · 2026Article
- Factors Associated with Mental Health Literacy Among Undergraduate Health Students in Portuguese Higher Education: The Role of Psychological Well-Being.Nursing reports (Pavia, Italy) · 2026Article
- Mental disorders & self-injurious thoughts and behaviors predict high risk of role impairment among university students - results from the world mental health international college student initiative.Journal of affective disorders · 2026Article
- The Prevalence of Sleep Disturbances and Anxiety Among Croatian University Students: Possible Association with Lifestyle Factors and COVID-19.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Meta-Analysis of Anxiety Symptoms and Influencing Factors Among Chinese College Students.Psychiatry investigation · 2026Article
- Vulnerability and protective factors for PTSD in the academic community during the pandemic.Psicologia, reflexao e critica : revista semestral do Departamento de Psicologia da UFRGS · 2026Article
- Assessment of Anxiety and Depression Symptoms Among Medical Students and Their Association with Religiosity: A Cross-Sectional Study.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Effects of virtual nature scenes and imagery dialogue intervention on academic anxiety in college students.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- HIIT and Tabata protocols for improving physical and cognitive health in sedentary college students: a randomized trial.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Three wave cross-lagged associations between traditional Chinese ethnic sports adherence and anxiety symptoms: parallel mediating roles of emotion regulation difficulties and perceived stress.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Associations of perfectionism dimensions with perceived stress and anxiety symptoms among Chinese undergraduates in sport-related majors: a multi-site cross-sectional study.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Longitudinal associations between physical activity and negative emotions among college students: the chain mediating roles of exercise self-efficacy and psychological resilience.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Associations of soundscape naturalness and natural-element complexity with short-term psychophysiological restoration in campus green spaces: a virtual reality study.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundAnxiety is a common mental health problem in the general population, and is associated with functional impairment and negative impacts upon quality of life. There has been increased concern about university students' mental health in recent years, with a wide range of non-specific anxiety rates reported worldwide in undergraduate university students. We aimed to explore prevalence of non-specific anxiety in undergraduate university student populations.
methodsFour databases were searched to identify studies published between 1980 and 2020 which investigated prevalence of non-specific anxiety in undergraduate university students. Each study's quality was appraised using a checklist. Sub-analyses were undertaken reflecting outcome measure utilized, course of study, location of study, and whether study was before or during the COVID-19 pandemic.
resultsA total of 89 studies - representing approx. 130,090 students-met inclusion criteria. Eighty-three were included in meta-analysis, calculating a weighted mean prevalence of 39.65% (95% CI: 35.72%-43.58%) for non-specific anxiety. Prevalence from diagnostic interview studies ranged from 0.3%-20.8% 12-month prevalence. Prevalence varied by outcome measure used to assess non-specific anxiety, the type of course studied by sample, and by study location. In half the studies, being female was associated with being more likely to have higher non-specific anxiety scores and/or screening above thresholds. Few of the included studies met all quality appraisal criteria.
conclusionThe results suggest that approximately a third of undergraduate students are experiencing elevated levels of non-specific anxiety. Results from sub-analyses have identified some methodological issues that need consideration in appraising prevalence in this population.
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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.