Despite growing concern about mental health problems in university students and increasing recognition that first‐generation university students (FGS) may face additional challenges, there has been no previous attempt to map the existing research on FGS mental health. The aim of this scoping review was to elicit current understanding of mental health problems in FGS from the literature. Following database searches and screening, 40 peer‐reviewed articles were included in the scoping review. Findings from these studies were synthesised for: types of mental health problems in FGS; prevalence of mental health problems in FGS compared to continuing‐generation students (CGS); factors associated with mental health problems in FGS; effects of mental health problems on FGS; help‐seeking for mental health problems in FGS; and interventions. Significant gaps were highlighted and recommendations made for future research, particularly outside the United States. True commitment to widening participation demands much more research on mental health problems in FGS to ensure that they thrive not just arrive. Context and implications: Rationale for this study: The aim of this scoping review was to map the existing international research on mental health problems in first‐generation university students (FGS). Why do the new findings matter?: The scoping review synthesises findings from 40 empirical studies published in peer‐reviewed journals, giving valuable insights into mental health problems in FGS and highlighting significant gaps in our understanding. Implications for higher education researchers and universities: The findings of the scoping review are a call to action for future research in this field. More studies are needed, particularly outside the United States, using a variety of research designs to gain a more comprehensive understanding of mental health problems in FGS. This research should be prioritised so that universities are provided with evidence‐based recommendations to mitigate and/or address mental health problems in FGS, thereby helping to ensure that they thrive in higher education.

The prevalence of poor mental health in university students is extremely concerning, and first-generation students (FGSs) may be more vulnerable to mental health problems than continuing-generation students (CGSs). Existing international research demonstrates that higher levels of mattering (how significant we feel we are to others) and lower levels of anti-mattering (how insignificant we feel we are to others) are associated with lower levels of mental health problems in university students, but this has not been investigated in the UK. This study aimed to investigate mental health problems and mattering in UK university students, comparing CGSs and FGSs. Students aged 18 or over from any university in the UK (N = 242; CGSs n = 124; FGSs n = 114) completed an online questionnaire containing measures of mental health problems (depression, eating concerns, substance use, generalised anxiety, frustration/anger, social anxiety, family distress, academic distress, total distress) and mattering (general mattering, anti-mattering, university mattering). The results showed that there were no statistically significant differences in levels of mental health problems and mattering between CGSs and FGSs. However, mattering appears to matter more for FGSs than CGSs: higher levels of mattering (general and university) and lower levels of anti-mattering were statistically significantly associated with lower levels of mental health problems for all students, but particularly for FGSs. The implications of these results are that mattering has potential as a basis for strategies and interventions to improve mental health in university students. Universities must consider how to increase mattering in their students, and more research in this area is urgently required.