Film education and art therapy for mental health in college students: a systematic review

Mental health issues are becoming increasingly prominent among college students, and psychological resilience is a crucial factor for individuals to maintain a good mental state when facing pressure and challenges. Art therapy, especially when combined with film production, offers college students a unique way to express themselves and to regulate their emotions. This systematic review aimed to explore the application value and effects of film education combined with art therapy in promoting mental health and psychological resilience among college students. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed from 2020 to 2025 using the keywords “art therapy,” “film,” and “mental health.” Conference proceedings, comments, and non-subject-related literature were excluded. This study was performed and reported in strict accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines. A total of 128 records were initially identified, and 28 eligible studies were included after screening. The results demonstrate that integrated film education and art therapy interventions effectively support emotional expression, stress relief, meaning-making, and social communication, and contribute to the improvement of psychological resilience and mental health status in college students. This review also identifies key research gaps and provides directions for future interdisciplinary research. The findings support the implementation of film-based creative and expressive arts interventions in mental health education for university students.