Introduction: The current high prevalence rate of mental health problems (depression, anxiety, stress) among university students is alarming. It causes suffering for the individual student, threatens academic performance, and increases the risk of drop-out.

Universities have primarily responded to this situation by offering individualized psychological support. While research has found such interventions to be effective, they are highly resource demanding and not all students that suffer from mental health problems can access individual services. Moreover, many of the reasons for students' mental health problems originate from the learning environment or academic culture, far beyond the individual. Nevertheless, structural efforts aimed at promoting and building healthy, sustainable learning environments for all students are lacking in the field. Few empirical studies have examined such approaches. Understanding the current literature in this field is a crucial step in advancing policy, practice, and research related to students' mental health.

The aim of this study was to identify and describe what is currently known about structural approaches and interventions to promote mental health or prevent mental ill-health among students in higher education, and to explore areas for future research and policy development.