RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES AND MENTAL HEALTH IN BRAZILIAN HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between socio-demographic variables and mental health in Brazilian higher education students. Through a systematic review of the literature. The search was carried out in September 2023 in the Scielo, Pepsic, PubMed and VHL databases, with the descriptors “mental health”, “higher education”, “students” and “pupils”, combined by the Boolean operators “AND” and “OR”. Studies published between 2019 and 2023 were included, which assessed the mental health of higher education students, were original, available in full and free of charge, written in Portuguese and carried out in Brazil. Women had higher rates of anxiety and depression symptoms; suicidal ideation; concern; Common Mental Disorder; negative affects; obsessive and compulsive thoughts and behaviors and stress. Students who declared themselves homosexual and black/brown had high rates of suicidal ideation. Men, despite presenting more positive indicators in relation to other groups studied, presented higher levels of hopelessness, greater prevalence and severity of depression symptoms, and greater risk of suicidal thoughts. It is possible to indicate that there is a relationship between socio-demographic variables and mental health levels in higher education students. It is hoped that these results will help managers, teachers and public authorities to reflect and analyze in more depth the effect of socio-demographic aspects on students' mental health, so that, in addition to indicating the need for more collaborative action, with greater institutional support for students most vulnerable to mental suffering.