National assessment and e-health interventions for mental health problems among university students

Swedish Partnership in The WHO World Mental Health International College Student (WMH-ICS) Study

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Project Summary

The life transition between late adolescence and emerging adulthood is often troubled, with up to half of university students in Sweden showing symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, help-seeking behavior is low due to emotional and practical barriers, generating a treatment gap. The purpose of this project is to map Swedish university students’ mental health problems and deliver e-health interventions to those at risk. The project is organized in four work packages (WPs). An annual epidemiological survey targeting first-year students maps mental health problems and disorders, including suicidal thoughts and behaviors (WP1), and annual follow-up surveys track participants’ developmental trajectories in terms of persisting problems and help-seeking behavior (WP2). Internet-based treatment studies are ongoing (WP3). In the first study, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 1200 participating students 2022-2025, we compared guided or unguided transdiagnostic e-treatment for depression and anxiety, with a waitlist control group offered unguided treatment after 6 months. In the current quasi-experimental study, running from autumn 2025, the question of guidance is explored in greater depth, with participants assigned the same guided or unguided treatment, based on personalized algorithms. In both studies, study participants who have not shown any improvement after 3 weeks are randomized to personally adapted e-treatment or to continued WP3 treatment in a study-within-a-trial (WP4). We are also exploring additional low-threshold digital interventions with a behavioral or interpersonal focus, within an ongoing planning grant (2025-26). The entire project builds on Swedish partnership with the WHO WMH-ICS 18-country international consortium. We envisage high potential for reducing mental health problems among Swedish university students, improving academic performance and reducing dropout. Ethical approval has been granted for all studies.