Any Artificial Intelligence Tool Use Experience and Depression-Anxiety Symptom Profiles Among Rural University Students in China.
4 affiliations
- 1School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, People's Republic of China.
- 2Graduate School, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, People's Republic of China.
- 3Yongjia College, Wenzhou Polytechnic, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325000, People's Republic of China.
- 4School of Management, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310000, People's Republic of China.
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.
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BibTeX
@article{zhou2026artificial,
title = {{Any Artificial Intelligence Tool Use Experience and Depression-Anxiety Symptom Profiles Among Rural University Students in China.}},
author = {Keren Zhou and Yi Zhang and Yuxin Yang and Zhuang Bian and Zhenxing Lin},
journal = {Psychology research and behavior management},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.2147/prbm.s641381},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42948318},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Any Artificial Intelligence Tool Use Experience and Depression-Anxiety Symptom Profiles Among Rural University Students in China.
AU - Keren Zhou
AU - Yi Zhang
AU - Yuxin Yang
AU - Zhuang Bian
AU - Zhenxing Lin
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - Psychology research and behavior management
DO - 10.2147/prbm.s641381
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42948318
AB - 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.
SN - 1179-1578
ER -