They found no evidence that the effects of MBIs on depression were sustained over time. Using the AMSTAR 2 quality assessment tool, eleven reviews were categorised as higher methodological quality, ten reviews were categorised as moderate methodological quality, and seven reviews were categorised as lower methodological quality. A summary of our study selection process is presented in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Flow Diagram (Fig 1). Title and abstract screening resulted in 44 articles that met the study inclusion criteria.

• Some of the cited papers actually diagnosed patients with mental illness (such as depression or anxiety).
• Kristensen et al. (2023) further explore how academic stress interacts with academic self-efficacy and psychological distress, demonstrating that these factors can mediate students’ experiences of stress, highlighting the importance of bolstering self-efficacy in coping strategies.
• On the other side, most African countries, some Middle-Eastern countries, and a few Western Asian countries had either the lowest number of studies or no studies.
• The effect of these instruments on physical health is consistent with the existing literature.

This is a well-written, and methodologically sound meta-synthesis of the literature on the relationship between academia and mental health/well-being. Therefore, we invite you to submit a revised version of the manuscript that addresses the points raised during the review process. A representative of The McPin Foundation – a mental health research charity – provided feedback on the final draft of this manuscript.

Hierarchical clustering was employed as an exploratory method to identify potential grouping structures within the dataset, based on the relationships among SAES scores. Additionally, significant correlations were identified between individual AE dimensions and psychological outcomes, highlighting the potential relevance of these variables for understanding students’ psychological functioning. Finally, relationships between AE patterns and psychological variables, including well-being and mental health outcomes, are analyzed to examine how they vary across the identified groups.

General health and stressors

For example, a few studies have explored the possibility of using tai-chi to foster wellness among students. Also, many other studies included did not find that such programs had any significant positive impacts. Their review confirms the effectiveness of wellness programs in alleviating depressive and anxious symptoms and highlights cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness as the two most effective wellness strategies.

The Feasibility of Bringing Brief Mindfulness-Based Training to the University Classroom

There is evidence that homosexual students experience poorer mental health and higher suicidality compared to heterosexual students111,116 with bisexual students especially at risk. In their analysis of survey responses gathered from Latino students, they found that socioeconomic status plays a much more significant role in poor mental health compared to ethnic identity114. Notably, Dyrbyeet al.’s review of North American medical students revealed no link between ethnicity and mental health28. Richardsonet al. corroborated claims that minority students experience poorer mental health, but interestingly, they Research on mental health and social support found white students to be at higher risk of alcohol dependence than black and Asian students110. This evidence points to the possibility that students who do not easily fall into a single socially defined racial category experience additional stress. Also, Conley and colleagues reported that male students typically have less social support than females99, which may be another factor that discourages them from reaching out to seek help.

The acronym stands for Services for Active and Participatory Student Inclusion (Servizi per l’Inclusione Attiva e Partecipata degli Studenti), referring to the university center of University of Naples, Italy. However, students could choose to interrupt the process at any time, and completing the survey did not entail any commitment to participate in counseling sessions. The response rate for the survey was 100%, with no missing data, as completing the survey was a necessary step to continue with the counseling request. It describes the process of data collection, the measures employed, the characteristics of the sample, and the statistical analyses performed to address the research objectives. The following section outlines the methodological framework adopted in this study. The study received approval from the ethical committee of the Department of Brain and Behavioral Science of University of Pavia and Scuola Universitaria Superiore of Pavia – IUSS (protocol n.115/22).

1. Participant Demographics and Sleep Characteristics

Our study supports calls for embedding dual mental and physical health supports and treatment in all health services as a system and policy reform. Our study underscores the importance of redesigning health systems to truly address the interplay between physical and mental health. One limitation may be that the HILDA mental health measure used in the current study is simplistic, and the gold standard is diagnosis-validated data. The study indicated that the majority of participants reported the awareness of the importance of physical health to their mental health and wellbeing. In Australia, a recent study (Young et al., 2017) found a significant correlation between physical health and mental health status. Our analysis using IV models (quasi or natural experiment) goes beyond just looking at simple association between physical health and mental health.