Psychological Interventions for Depression in Nursing Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Depression is prevalent among nursing students and may adversely affect their academic performance, clinical competence, and well-being. We synthesized randomized trial evidence to determine whether psychological interventions alleviate depressive symptoms in undergraduate nursing students. PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, and CENTRAL were searched for randomized controlled trials published between January 2015 and June 2026. Two reviewers evaluated risk of bias with Cochrane RoB 2. We pooled standardized mean differences (SMDs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using random-effects models and explored variation by intervention category, academic year, and COVID-19 period. Nine trials were included in the systematic review and eight in the meta-analysis. Psychological interventions significantly reduced depressive symptoms compared with control conditions (SMD = −0.88, 95% CI = −1.32 to −0.43, p = 0.0001; I2 = 82%). Significant effects were observed for cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based interventions, and other psychological interventions, as well as across academic-year and pandemic-period subgroups; however, differences between subgroups were not statistically significant. Psychological interventions may reduce depressive symptoms among nursing students. Recurring educational features, including reflection, interaction, feedback, and behavioral practice, were noted in intervention descriptions; however, their contributions to intervention effects were not directly evaluated.