Digital Wellbeing, AI, and the Future of Mental Health Support in Higher Education

Mental health and wellbeing have become increasingly important considerations within higher education, particularly as universities respond to growing concerns about student stress, anxiety, loneliness, disengagement, and academic pressure. In this Research Topic, mental health is understood as a state of psychological functioning that enables individuals to cope with life's challenges, realize their potential, learn effectively, and participate meaningfully in their communities. Wellbeing is viewed more broadly and includes psychological, emotional, social, and academic wellbeing. While closely related, mental health and wellbeing are shaped by a complex interaction of personal, social, institutional, and environmental factors. As digital technologies and artificial intelligence become increasingly embedded in students' learning, communication, and everyday lives, understanding their implications for both mental health and wellbeing becomes an important area of inquiry for higher education researchers and practitioners.This Research Topic responds to a growing disconnect between the rapid adoption of digital and AI-driven tools in higher education and the limited understanding of how these interventions shape student mental health in practice. While universities are increasingly turning to digital platforms, chatbots, and data analytics to expand mental health support, these approaches are often implemented without sufficient attention to context, student experience, and institutional capacity. As a result, there is a risk that technology is positioned as a solution without fully engaging with the structural conditions that contribute to student distress. The goal of this Research Topic is to critically examine how digital technologies and AI are being used to support mental health, and to explore how these tools can be integrated in ways that are ethical, inclusive, and responsive to diverse student needs. Recent advances in AI-enabled early warning systems, telecom-counselling, and digital wellbeing platforms offer important opportunities for innovation. However, this collection seeks to move beyond adoption towards reflection, bringing together work that engages with both the potential and the limitations of these developments, particularly within Global South contexts.This Research Topic invites contributions that explore the intersection of digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and student mental health and wellbeing in higher education. The scope includes work that examines: digital wellbeing, AI-enabled mental health support (such as chatbots and early warning systems), the psychological impact of online and hybrid learning environments, and the broader implications of digital transformation for student wellbeing. Contributions that engage with ethical considerations, particularly around data use, privacy, surveillance, accessibility, and equity, are strongly encouraged. We also welcome research that highlights contextually grounded and institutionally responsive approaches to promoting mental health and wellbeing in higher education. Submissions may include empirical studies (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods), conceptual or theoretical papers, policy analyses, practice-based case studies, literature reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. Interdisciplinary work that connects psychology, education, digital wellbeing, artificial intelligence, mental health, wellbeing, and higher education leadership is particularly encouraged, especially where it reflects on institutional realities and student lived experiences. Topic editors: Fortunate Silinda, Samson Femi Agberotimi Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81540/digital-wellbeing-ai-and-the-future-of-mental-health-support-in-higher-education