Digital mental health interventions for anxiety and depressive symptoms in university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Riboldi, Ilaria; Cavaleri, Daniele; Calabrese, Angela; Capogrosso, Chiara Alessandra; Piacenti, Susanna; Bartoli, Francesco; Crocamo, Cristina; Carrà, Giuseppe

doi:10.1016/j.rpsm.2022.04.005

Cited by 47 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 80 publications

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“…Pedruzo et al [ 41 ] reported that digital therapy, notably cognitive behavioral and dialectical behavioral therapy, effectively reduces anxious and depressive symptoms. Dialectical behavior therapy was found to be an effective digital intervention for reducing anxiety and depression symptoms in university students during the pandemic [ 42 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress among High School Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey Study in Western Mexico

Cervantes-Cardona

Cervantes-Guevara

Cervantes-Pérez

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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Social isolation and school closure may predispose adolescents to higher prevalence rates of depression, anxiety, and stress. In this cross-sectional observational study, the validated Spanish version of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale was administered to 3112 students aged 14–22 years old. We also collected data on participant gender, age group, school shift (morning or afternoon), school year, family type, whether they or any first-degree relative had been infected with COVID-19, whether any family member had died of COVID-19, and whether either of their parents worked. Mean scores were 8.34 ± 6.33 for depression, 7.75 ± 5.89 for anxiety, and 10.26 ± 5.84 for stress. Female students presented significantly higher scores on all three measures compared with male students. Students who had been infected with COVID-19, who had an infected family member, or who had a family member who died of COVID-19 also presented higher scores on all three measures. Identifying the symptoms and warning signs of depression and anxiety disorders is critical, particularly in vulnerable populations like adolescents.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress among High School Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey Study in Western Mexico

Cervantes-Cardona

Cervantes-Guevara

Cervantes-Pérez

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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“…These networks, which can also be created online, could be facilitated by general practitioners and psychologists at the local level in the places most frequented by young adults, including university institutions. In particular, in view of the delivery of online therapies, the approaches of cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy and mind–body practice techniques have emerged as valid strategies to counteract the emerging symptomatology [ 38 ]. Thinking problems and anxiety levels may have been supported by the growing phenomenon of cyberchondria: a behavior characteristic of an excessive online search for medical information associated with rising levels of health anxiety [ 39 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of COVID-19-Related Social Isolation on Behavioral Outcomes in Young Adults Residing in Northern Italy

Patrono

Invernizzi

Placidi

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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Social isolation affects our emotions, behavior and interactions. Worldwide, individuals experienced prolonged periods of isolation during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic when authorities-imposed restrictions to reduce the spread of the virus. In this study, we investigated the effects of social isolation on emotional and behavioral outcomes in young adults from Lombardy, Italy, a global hotspot of COVID-19. We leveraged baseline (pre-social isolation) and follow-up (mid- or post-isolation) data collected from young adults enrolled in the ongoing, longitudinal Public Health Impact of Metals Exposure (PHIME) study. At baseline, 167 participants completed the ASEBA questionnaires (ASR/YSR) by web link or in person; 65 completed the ASR 12–18 weeks after the onset of restrictions. Using the sign test and multiple linear regression models, we examined differences in ASR scores between baseline and follow-up adjusting for sex, age, pre-pandemic IQ and time with social restrictions (weeks). Further, we examined interactions between sex and time in social isolation. Participants completed the ASR after spending an average of 14 weeks in social isolation (range 12–18 weeks). Thought problems increased between baseline and follow-up (median difference 1.0; 1st, 3rd quartile: −1.0, 4.0; p = 0.049). Among males, a longer time in social isolation (≥14 weeks) was associated with increased rule-breaking behaviors of 2.8 points. These results suggest the social isolation related to COVID-19 adversely impacted mental health. In particular, males seem to externalize their condition. These findings might help future interventions and treatment to minimize the consequences of social isolation experience in young adults.

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“…The majority of the online interventions were effective in promoting well-being of higher education students during the pandemic based on evidence from randomized clinical trials, quasi-experimental studies, and cohort or case-control studies (da Silva et al, 2022;Malinauskas & Malinauskiene, 2022;Riboldi et al, 2022). Within this, particularly online group mindfulness techniques and web-based cognitive behavioral therapies (da Silva et al, 2022), multicomponent online positive psychology interventions (Malinauskas & Malinauskiene, 2022), and individually catered cognitive behavioral therapies, dialectical behavior therapies, and mind-body practice techniques (Riboldi et al, 2022) emerged as being effective.…”

Section: Effectivenessmentioning

confidence: 99%

How did COVID-19 Affect Education and What can be Learned Moving Forward? A Systematic Meta-Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

Daumiller¹,

Rinas²,

Schoon³

et al. 2023

Preprint

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The COVID-19 pandemic drastically impacted the educational sector on a global front. A plethora of research has been conducted to better understand the effects that the pandemic had on education as a whole, including investigations into different topics (e.g., school closures, e-teaching and learning, mental and physical health), populations (e.g., students, teachers), and levels of education (e.g., school, higher education). To summarize the available literature on ed-ucation during the pandemic both qualitatively and quantitatively, many systematic reviews and meta-analyses have begun to emerge. With the present systematic meta-review, we aimed to synthesize and combine this existing database to derive broader and more comprehensive in-sights that can aid educational stakeholders. We summarize and evaluate 43 systematic re-views, 4 meta-analyses, and 8 combined systematic reviews and meta-analyses published until November 2022 to provide a comprehensive narrative of how this crisis affected education and what can be learned moving forward.

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Digital mental health interventions for anxiety and depressive symptoms in university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Cited by 47 publications

References 80 publications

Prevalence of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress among High School Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey Study in Western Mexico

Prevalence of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress among High School Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey Study in Western Mexico

Impact of COVID-19-Related Social Isolation on Behavioral Outcomes in Young Adults Residing in Northern Italy

How did COVID-19 Affect Education and What can be Learned Moving Forward? A Systematic Meta-Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

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