The acceptability of artificial intelligence to support university students’ mental health: the role of Asian cultural values and social support

Abstract

The global prevalence of mental disorders is rising, with university students at-risk due to the increased psychological distress associated with this period simultaneously occurring with the age of onset of many mental disorders. Artificial intelligence (AI) has been proposed as a novel treatment approach for mental disorders, yet little is known about its acceptability when applied to mental health interventions from the perspective of university students. This study aimed to explore the role of social support and Asian cultural values, two factors linked more broadly with mental health help-seeking, in the acceptability of AI-based mental health interventions among university students. A sample of 135 Australian university students (M_age = 25.26 years, SD_age = 7.72 years) of diverse ethnicity (e.g. 43.7 % White/European, 29.6 % Asian and 11.9 % Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander) completed questionnaires for social support, Asian cultural values, and acceptability. A multiple linear regression indicated that Asian cultural values were positively associated with acceptability of AI-based mental health interventions; no support was found for the association with social support. Age and ethnicity were included in the regression model as covariates to adjust for their potential influence on acceptability. These findings provide insight into the relationship between the acceptability of AI-based mental health interventions, social support and Asian cultural values, and demonstrate the need to understand student perspectives before implementing such interventions.