Effectiveness of Digital Health Interventions on Stress, Anxiety, and Depression in University Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Stress, anxiety, and depression are among the most common mental health problems experienced by university students. The aim of this study was to systematically review and analyze the effectiveness of digital health interventions in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression in university students. Several databases (the Cochrane Library, Ovid Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection databases) were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of digital health interventions published by June 30, 2024. The trials were reviewed, and outcome data were analyzed using random effects meta-analyses for each outcome. A total of 22 RCTs involving 3,655 participants (3,041 analyzed) were included. The meta-analysis revealed that digital health interventions significantly reduced stress, anxiety, and depression in university students (stress: WMD = -1.79; 95% CI: -2.51, -1.07; P