Enhancing Psychological Well-being in Higher Education Post-Covid-19 Pandemic. The Role of AI-Based Support Systems—Bibliometric Reviews

Abstract

Psychological well-being is a cornerstone of student success in higher education. However, many students struggle with mental health challenges like stress, anxiety, and depression during and even after the Covid-19 pandemic. These challenges, often stemming from academic, personal, social, or career concerns, negatively impact student learning and development. This underscores the need for robust support systems within higher education (HE). Artificial intelligence (AI) emerges as a promising field in educational technology, offering students readily available guidance on their path to well-being. This research, guided by the PRISMA Statement 2015, provides an overview of AI applications in higher education through a systematic review. From an initial pool of 270 publications identified between year 2021 and 2023, finally, 24 articles met our inclusion criteria and were analyzed for the final synthesis. This paper revealed three key areas where AI-based systems can support student well-being: i) AI’s Advancement and Potential: Exploring the evolving capabilities and promise of AI in this context. ii) Building Effective AI Systems: Identifying crucial components for successful AI-based well-being interventions. iii) Barriers to Implementing AI in Higher Education: Addressing ethical considerations and challenges unique to academic settings. The conclusions and the road ahead from this research is the critical need for ethical, well-designed AI-based systems to overcome existing barriers and deliver exceptional student well-being support services. By prioritizing student mental health and providing them with the necessary tools and resources, we can empower them to achieve their full potential and thrive in their academic endeavors.