Work

Any Artificial Intelligence Tool Use Experience and Depression–Anxiety Symptom Profiles Among Rural University Students in China

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Purpose: Associations of artificial intelligence (AI) tool use with concurrent depressive and anxiety symptoms among rural university students remain uncertain. We explored associations of any AI tool use experience with depression-anxiety symptom profiles. Methods: This cross-sectional survey included 1529 students with rural household registration from three universities in Zhejiang, China. GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores informed latent profile analysis; five conceptually ordered multinomial models compared profile membership with the low-symptom profile. Results: The profiles comprised low symptoms (n=896; 58.6%), anxiety-predominant symptoms (n=587; 38.4%), and depression-predominant symptoms (n=46; 3.0%). In the reported fully adjusted model, AI use experience was associated with lower odds of anxiety-predominant membership (OR=0.764, 95% CI 0.654-0.893) and depression-predominant membership (OR=0.239, 95% CI 0.101-0.566) compared with low-symptom membership. Conclusion: AI use experience and symptom patterns were associated in this exploratory sample. These observations warrant longitudinal assessment with more detailed measures of AI engagement.

Source: Psychology Research and Behavior Management

DOI: 10.2147/prbm.s641381

Authors: Keren Zhou, Yi Zhang, Yuxin Yang, Zhuang Bian, Zhenxing Lin

Institutions: Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou Polytechnic, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics

Language: English

Topic: Impact of Technology on Adolescents

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,836