Mental ill-health and psychological wellbeing of university student carers: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Mental ill-health and psychological wellbeing difficulties are on the rise for university students globally. These difficulties may be exacerbated for university student carers who simultaneously undertake unwaged caring responsibilities alongside their studies. Yet there is little information on the mental ill-health and psychological wellbeing difficulties experienced by student carers, or how these compare to their non-carer student peers. Using systematic screening, we identified the quantitative literature pertaining to mental ill-health and psychological wellbeing difficulties experienced by student carers. We explored the various ways in which being a student carer is defined and conceptualised in the literature. We then used narrative synthesis to thematically describe the key mental ill-health and psychological wellbeing difficulties experienced by student carers. We conducted meta-analyses for depression, anxiety, and stress, comparing outcome scores for student carers and their non-carer student peers. Quantitative studies show substantial heterogeneity in their conceptualisation of student carer status. The most commonly measured difficulties experienced by student carers were depression, anxiety, lack of sense of belonging/social support, and role conflict. Studies found student carers to experience burnout. Results for psychological distress, stress, sense of belonging/social support, life satisfaction, and general wellbeing varied by whom one was caring for. Meta-analyses found that student carers reported higher levels of depression and anxiety, and lower levels of stress, than their non-carer student peers, although findings should be interpreted with caution due to wide confidence intervals and high heterogeneity. Ultimately, this review furthers understanding of how student carer status influences mental ill-health and psychological wellbeing with important implications for how institutional support could be tailored.