The Relationship Between Digital Competencies and Mental Health in Online Learning: A Systematic Review of Neurotypical and Neurodivergent Higher Education Students

Abstract Within the context of the growing popularity of online learning, which offers expanded educational opportunities, concerns about students' mental health exist, particularly in the context of neurodiversity. This systematic review aimed to investigate the relationship between digital competence and mental health among neurotypical and neurodivergent university students using existing quantitative research and a narrative analysis. Employing a comprehensive search across five databases, 27 relevant studies were identified, including those published before, during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. Most studies were cross-sectional, female-dominated and focusing on undergraduate students, using self-report measures for digital competence and mental health. A significant number of the studies were conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic, underscoring a heightened recognition of the critical roles of digital competence and mental health in the context of emergency online learning. Findings regarding the relationship between digital competence and mental health were mixed, although there was some indication that improved digital competence was associated with reduced anxiety, stress, loneliness and burnout as well as increased wellbeing and resilience. The discrepancies between some individual studies could be due to variations of samples and measures of digital competence and mental health used in the reviewed studies. Notably, the review uncovered a significant lack of research involving neurodivergent students, revealing an under-representation of this demographic in the domain which should be addressed in future research.