Keywords:
self-regulation
psychological distress
burnout
AI-enabled personalization
digital interventions

  • Abstract

    Introduction: University students face high academic stress, social demands, and unequal institutional resources that jeopardize psychological well-being. Learning-oriented approaches are increasingly promoted as preventive supports. Objective: To synthesize evidence on how instructional strategies relate to mental health outcomes in tertiary students. Methods: We conducted a systematic review following PRISMA 2020, searching PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and ERIC for 2019–2024 studies. Inclusion required empirical evaluation of a defined strategy and at least one mental-health–relevant outcome. Screening and eligibility proceeded in two stages (titles/abstracts and full texts) after duplicate removal. We summarized outcomes on stress, anxiety, burnout, self-confidence, persistence, and emotion regulation; findings were integrated narratively because interventions and measures were heterogeneous. Results: From 555 records, 20 studies met criteria. Strategies clustered into multimodal approaches; self-regulation frameworks; resilience and academic buoyancy programs; and technology-mediated interventions, including AI-supported tools. Across studies, interventions commonly reduced academic stress, anxiety, and burnout and improved self-regulation, persistence, and emotion regulation. Multimodal and self-regulation–based approaches were frequently associated with better academic performance and lower psychological distress. Online and hybrid delivery tended to foster autonomy and time management, whereas in-person formats supported collaboration and critical thinking. AI-enabled personalization contributed indirectly by increasing engagement, timely feedback, and adaptive pacing. Conclusion: Integrating evidence-based strategies into institutional programming can yield concurrent benefits for mental well-being and academic success. Implications: Universities should scale structured self-regulatory supports, train staff in resilience-focused pedagogy, and evaluate AI-assisted tools with attention to equity, privacy, and transparency. Future research should employ longitudinal, cross-cultural designs and standardized psychological measures to clarify durability and generalizability of effects.

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Freire-Palacios, V. A., Escobar-Armijos, L. C., Romero-Acosta, Y. J., & Lliguisupa-Pastor, D. M. (2025). Learning strategies and mental health in higher education: A systematic review (2019–2024). Multidisciplinary Reviews, 9(6), 2026300. https://doi.org/10.31893/multirev.2026300
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