Prevalencia de la ansiedad en estudiantes universitarios: revisión sistemática y metaanálisis

Abstract

Anxiety has been identified as a mental health problem with a high prevalence among university students, associated with academic and personal demands. To synthesize the scientific evidence on the prevalence of anxiety in university students through a systematic review following the PRISMA guidelines and a meta-analysis of proportions. A review was conducted in the Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases, selecting studies published between 2021 and 2025 that assessed anxiety in university students using valid psychological instruments. Eighteen studies that met the inclusion criteria were used and analyzed using a random effects model. The meta-analysis showed an overall prevalence of anxiety of 52.2% (95% CI: 41.5-62.9%), with higher prevalences in Asia and South America and a higher frequency in women. Anxiety is a prevalent mental health problem in university students, highlighting the need for preventive actions.