Ansiedade no ensino superior: revisão sobre a prevalência e seus multifatores

Abstract

This work presents a systematic review in a scoping format on anxiety in university students, understood as an emotional response composed of cognitive, physiological, and behavioral symptoms in the face of perceived threats. In higher education, this phenomenon becomes recurrent due to academic, social, personal, and institutional factors. The review followed the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, including the stages of identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion. Searches were conducted in SciELO, PubMed, BVS, and PePSIC databases, considering studies published between 2020 and 2025. After exclusion criteria, 51 articles composed the final sample. The studies indicate a high prevalence of anxiety among university students, intensified by factors such as academic overload, financial difficulties, balancing work and study, excessive use of electronic devices, substance use, and low self-esteem. Female, non-heterosexual, and non-White students show greater vulnerability. The beginning of the course and, especially, the final period of the degree appear as phases of greater stress. Based on the results, it is verified that university anxiety is configured as a multifactorial phenomenon, influenced by emotional, socioeconomic, and institutional conditions that go beyond the academic environment. The interventions identified include yoga, mindfulness meditation, dance (MGW), theater, support groups, in-person and online psychotherapy, as well as studies on emotional regulation, psychological flexibility, and self-esteem, which demonstrate reductions in stress, anxiety, and depression. It is concluded that institutional actions aimed at prevention, health promotion, and psychological support are essential to reduce symptoms and promote students’ well-being and integral development.