EVERYDAY UNDERGRADUATE EXPERIENCES AND THE IMPACT ON STUDENTS' MENTAL HEALTH: SCOPING REVIEW

Abstract

It is a scoping review with the objective of identifying the state of the art on the daily experiences in graduation and the impact on students' mental health. A search was carried out in five electronic databases National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health (PubMed), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Web of Science, Scopus, Latin American and Caribbean Science Literature of Health (LILACS), Cochrane Library and the theses and dissertations catalog of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES). Studies published in full, freely available, in English, Spanish and Portuguese were included, as well as dissertations that deal with the experiences of university students in the daily life of graduation, considering the impact of graduation on students' mental health as a context. A total of 26,862 records were retrieved and 38 studies were maintained for review. Most publications (95%) had a quantitative approach to data, and 5%, qualitative. In summarizing the findings, studies from several countries from all continents were included, considering the prevalence of psychological distress in undergraduate students, causal factors, protective factors, gender predominance, professional counseling, suicide, among other issues. It is concluded that psychological distress in university students is associated with several factors; there is a low demand from students for help, little offer of reception services at universities, and studies highlight the importance of institutions strengthening and encouraging programs to prevent risks and injuries and promote the mental health of university students.