The effect of e-mental health interventions on academic performance in university and college students: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

F Bolinski; N Boumparis; A Kleiboer; P Cuijpers; D D Ebert; H Riper

doi:10.1016/j.invent.2020.100321

The effect of e-mental health interventions on academic performance in university and college students: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Internet Interv. 2020 Apr 23:20:100321. doi: 10.1016/j.invent.2020.100321. eCollection 2020 Apr.

Authors

F Bolinski^{1

2}, N Boumparis^{1

2}, A Kleiboer^{1

2}, P Cuijpers^{1

2}, D D Ebert^{1

2

3}, H Riper^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical, Neuro-, and Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
² Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
³ Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany.

Abstract

Background: Mental health symptoms are common among college and university students and these can affect their academic performance. E-mental health interventions have proven effective in addressing mental health complaints but their effect on academic performance has not been synthesized yet.

Objectives: To synthesize the evidence from randomized controlled trials for the effectiveness of e-mental health interventions on academic performance in college and university students compared to inactive controls.

Data sources and eligibility criteria: We searched six databases (PubMed, Cochrane library, CINAHL, ERIC, PsycINFO, Web of Science) during the period January 2000 until September 2019 for randomized controlled trials that reported on e-mental health interventions (guided or unguided) for college and university students and measured academic performance (e.g. grade point average).

Study appraisal and synthesis methods: Study and participant characteristics and the academic performance measures at post-intervention were extracted. The latter were pooled and Hedges' g was calculated as the effect size. Heterogeneity and publication bias were investigated.

Results: Six studies containing 2428 participants were included in the meta-analysis. These focussed on either mood and anxiety or alcohol and tobacco use. The pooling of data resulted in a small but non-significant effect of g = 0.26 (95% CI, -0.00, 0.52; p = .05) on academic performance, favouring e-mental health interventions over inactive controls. Interventions had positive effects on depression (g = -0.24) and anxiety (g = -0.2). Heterogeneity was high.

Discussion: Despite the small and non-significant effect, our meta-analysis points to a promising direction for the effectiveness of e-mental health interventions on academic performance. Yet, these results must be interpreted with caution, as heterogeneity was high and few studies on the effectiveness of e-mental health interventions for students reported academic performance measures.

Keywords: Academic performance; College; E-mental health; Meta-analysis; Students; University.

Publication types

Review

Associated data

figshare/10.6084/m9.figshare.7088504.v1