Table 2.
Description of reviewed studies
| Author(s) and Country | Sample N (% female) MA (SD) Ethnicity |
Course of study Academic year |
Timing of assessments | Drop-out rates at follow-up | Assessment tools | Outcome(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bussone et al. (2020) Italy |
Same sample 68 (80%) NA NA |
NA NA |
T1 = 6 months (on average) before the COVID-19 pandemic T2 = 23/04/2020–04/05/2020 |
None |
SCL-90-R PSS-10 STAI-Y RQ PBI |
Significant increase in phobic anxiety, depression, psychological distress and perceived stress during lockdown. Parental bonding and attachment style modulate the psychological status during lockdown |
| Charles et al. (2021) USA |
Different samples 254 168 352 (84%)a 21.1(NA) White 61.2% |
Psychology NA |
T1 = 09/2019–11/2019 T2 = 04/2020–05/2020 T3 = 10/2020–11/2020 |
NA |
Questions about COVID-19 CCSM PSS-10 AUDIT |
Students in spring 2020 reported more mood disorder symptoms, perceived stress and alcohol use than did pre-pandemic participants, and worry about COVID-19 was negatively associated with well-being. By fall, 2020 symptoms had largely returned to pre-pandemic levels. White students reported a greater effect of the pandemic on well-being than African and American students |
| Copeland et al. (2021) USA |
Same sample 576 (75.5%) NA White 90.8% |
NA |
SS = beginning of spring semester 2020 SE = end of spring semester 2020 |
14.6% |
COVID-19 survey; BPM/18–59; EMA (5 well-being items, 2 mood items) |
Problems in externalization and attention increased after the start of COVID-19. Nightly surveys of both mood and daily well-being behaviors were negatively affected by COVID-19 pandemic |
| Dun et al. (2021) China |
Same sample 12,889 (80%) 20 (NA) NA |
NA |
T1 = 12/2019–01/2020 T2 = 05/2020 |
7.4% |
CNSPFS Battery BDI-II |
Anaerobic, aerobic, explosive and muscular fitness were independently and inversely associated with depression for the overall population |
| Elmer et al. (2020) Switzerland |
Different samples 58 (38.9%) 212 (NA) NA NA |
Engineering and Natural Science (2° and 3° academic year) |
T1 = 04/2019 T2 = 09/2019 T3 = 04/2020 |
NA |
Cohort network items Personal network items COVID-19 items CESDS GAD-7 PSS-10 UCLA-LS BFI |
Co-studying network has become sparser during the pandemic. Students’ level of stress, anxiety, loneliness and depressive symptoms were higher than before the pandemic. Female reported worse mental health trajectories |
| Fruehwirth et al. (2021) USA |
Same sample 419 (NA) 18.9 (NA) Non-Hispanic White 61.9% |
NA |
T1 = 10/2019–02/2020 T2 = 06/2020–07/2020 |
58% |
PHQ-8 GAD-7 Items about COVID-19 stressors BRS BRCS MSPSS |
Increase in anxiety and depression prevalence during the pandemic compared to baseline assessment. White, female, Sexual and Gender Minorities (SGMs) were at highest risk of increases in anxiety symptoms. Non-Hispanic black, female and SGM students were at highest risk of increases in depression symptoms. General difficulties associated with distanced learning and social isolation contributed to the increases in both depression and anxiety symptoms |
| Hamza et al. (2021) Canada |
Same sample 733 (74%) 18.5 (0.7) Caucasian 21% |
NA |
T1 = 05/2019 T2 = 05/2020 |
23.9% |
ICSRLE MSPSS PSS-10 DERS-SF PANAS-X ISAS CESDS-R GAD-7 MSI-BPD AUDIT PCL PBS GSCA |
Students with pre-existing mental health concerns showed improving or similar mental health during the pandemic (compared with one year before). In contrast, students without pre-existing mental health concerns were more likely to show declining mental health, which coincided with increased social isolation |
| Horita et al. (2021) Japan |
Different sample 400 (56.6%) 766 (45.4%) NA NA |
NA |
T1 = 15/04/2019–31/05/2019 T2 = 20/04/2020–31/05/2020 |
Not applicable |
K10 CCAPS-Japanese |
The number of “high-risk” students and the depression level were lower among the 2020 first-year students compared to previous year’s students |
| Huckins et al. (2020) USA |
Same sample 217 (67.8%) NA NA |
NA |
SS = 08/2017 SE = 03/2020 |
17.9% |
Mobile sensing (sedentary time, sleep, location, phone usage, COVID-19 news coverage) PHQ-4 |
During winter 2020 term, students were more sedentary and reported increased anxiety and depression symptoms than in previous academic terms and subsequent academic breaks |
| Li et al. (2020a) China |
Same sample 555 (76.8%) 19.6 (3.4) NA |
NA |
T1 = 12/20/2019 T2 = 02/2020 |
None |
PANAS PHQ-4 |
Increase in negative affect and symptoms of anxiety and depression after 2 weeks of confinement |
| Li et al. (2020b) China |
Same sample 173 (75.8%) 19.8 (0.9) NA |
Social Work, International Economics, Economics and Trade, Marketing and Accounting (2° and 3° academic year) |
T1 = 20/11/2019–28/11/2019 T2 = 28/02/2020–10/03/2020 T3 = 29/05/2020–10/06/2020 |
12.3% |
LMS C-DASS-2 |
Stress, anxiety, and depression all showed V-shaped growth trajectories in which these variables decreased during lockdown, before increasing in the post-lockdown period |
| Meda et al. (2021) Italy |
Different samples 161 (NA) 197 (NA) NA NA |
Medicine and Surgery, Psychology, Biology, Pharmacy, Economics, Engineering, Social and Political Sciences NA |
Sample 1 T1 = 10/2019 T2 = 03/04/2020–23/04/2020 Sample 2 T1 = 11/11/2019–19/12/2020 T2 = 11/05/2020–21/06/2020 |
NA NA |
BDI-2 BAI OCI-R EHQ EDI-3 |
Students reported worse depressive symptoms during lockdown than 6 months before isolation, with students without previous diagnosis of psychopathology. being affected the most |
| Rettew et al. (2021) USA |
Same sample 484 (76%) 18.1 (0.3) White 90% |
NA |
SS = 01/2020 SE = 05/2020 |
28.1% |
BFI EMA (5 well-being items, 2 mood items) |
Mood and well-being indices declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, while stress decreased. Differential impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak for students with low versus high levels of particular personality traits |
| Saraswathi et al. (2020) India |
Same sample 217 (64%) 20.0 (1.6) NA |
Medicine and Surgery NA |
T1 = 12/2019 T2 = 06/2020 |
7% |
DASS-21 PSQI |
Increase in both prevalence and levels of anxiety and stress |
| Van Zyl et al. (2021) Netherlands |
Same sample 141 (31.9%) NA NA |
NA |
SS = 01/2020 SE = 04/2020 |
None |
SDRS MHC-SF |
Mental health was reported to be moderate and stable throughout the study |
| Wilson et al. (2021) USA |
Different samples 1019b (64.6%)a 20.9 (1.5) White 80.3% |
NA |
SS = 01/2015 SE = 04/2020 |
NA |
GPAQ PSS-4 CESDS-7 |
Decrease in physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Perceived stress increased, and depressive symptoms also increased among female in the same period |
| Zhang et al. (2020) USA |
Same sample 49 (NA) NA NA |
NA |
T1 = 01/2020–02/2020 T2 = 03/2020–05/2020 |
None |
PHQ-9 GAD-7 Google and YouTube searches analysis through 5 features |
Increase in depression and anxiety. Online behavior features were significantly correlated with deteriorations in PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores |
NA non-available; MA mean age; SS study start; SE study end; AUDIT Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test; BAI Beck Anxiety Inventory; BDI Beck Depression Inventory; BFI Big Five Inventory; BPM/18–59 Brief Problem Monitor; BRCS Brief Resilient Coping Scale; BRS Brief Resilience Scale; CCAPS Counselling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms; CCSM Cross-Cutting Symptoms Measure; CESDS Center for Epidemiological Study of Depression Scale; CNSPFS Battery Chinese National Student Physical Fitness Standard; DASS Depression Anxiety Stress Scale; DERS-SF Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale- Short Form; EDI-3 Eating Disorder Inventory-3; EHQ Eating Habits Questionnaire; EMA Ecological Momentary Assessment; GAD Generalized Anxiety Disorder; GPAQ Global Physical Activity Questionnaire; GSCA Grit Scale for Children and Adults; ICSRLE Inventory of College Students’ Recent Life Experiences; ISAS Inventory of Statements about Self-Injury; K10 Kessler Psychological Distress Scale; LMS Langer Mindfulness Scale; MHC-SF Mental Health Continuum-Short Form; MSI-BPD McLean Screening Instruments for Borderline Personality Disorder; MSPSS Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support; OCI-R Obsessive–Compulsive Inventory Revised; PANAS Positive And Negative Affect Schedule; PBI Parental Bonding Instrument; PBS Perceived Burdensomeness Scale; PCL Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Checklist; PHQ Patient Health Questionnaire; PSQI Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; PSS Perceived Stress Scale; RQ Relationship Questionnaire; SCL-90-R Symptom Checklist 90 Revised; SDRS Study Demands and Resources Scale; STAI State Trait Anxiety Inventory; UCLA-LS UCLA Loneliness Scale
aSample characteristics refer to the totality of participants
bCumulative sample