What interventions improve college and university students’ mental health and wellbeing? A review of review-level evidence

Mar 31, 2020 | What Works Centre for Wellbeing

The environmental scan, What interventions improve college and university students’ mental health and wellbeing? A review of review-level evidence, conducted by What Works Centre for Wellbeing reviews what mental health interventions are effective for postsecondary populations. The environmental scan systematically examines review-level empirical studies of interventions across OECD counties, including Canada.

The study found that eleven main interventions were used including mindfulness-based, cognitive-behavioral, psychoeducational, and relaxation interventions. While there is a robust body of literature on the effectiveness of mindfulness and cognitive-behavioral interventions, there is limited evidence on other interventions. For this reason, the study was not able to determine if other interventions were effective in this context.

What Interventions Improve College and University Students’ Mental Health and Wellbeing? A Review of Review-level Evidence (PDF)