Summary
This 2021 systematic review and meta-analysis synthesised evidence on the prevalence of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and sleep disturbance amongst higher education students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors generated pooled prevalence estimates and explored sources of heterogeneity across included studies. The work contributes to understanding acute mental health impacts of pandemic-related disruptions on student populations, though findings reflect predominantly 2020–2021 data and may not capture longer-term effects.
Regional applicability
The geographic scope of included studies is not specified in the metadata provided; applicability to United Kingdom higher education settings would depend on the proportion and representativeness of UK-based studies in the meta-analysis. Findings may be relevant to UK student mental health policy and support services during future public health emergencies, though pandemic-specific stressors may differ.
Key measures
Prevalence of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and sleep disturbance; pooled prevalence estimates; heterogeneity across study populations and designs
Outcomes reported
The study synthesised prevalence data on depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and sleep disturbance among higher education students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pooled prevalence estimates and heterogeneity across populations and study designs were examined.
Topic tags
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