Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42404691›Full record

ArticleDepression and anxiety2026

Depression and Artificial Intelligence Anxiety Among Chinese University Students: A Bayesian Network Analysis.

Kangyue Jin, Yuntena Wu, Tonglin Jin

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Depression and anxiety, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Kangyue JinSchool of Psychology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China, imnu.edu.cn.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0002-4456-0889
Yuntena WuSchool of Psychology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China, imnu.edu.cn.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6998-3696
Tonglin JinSchool of Psychology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China, imnu.edu.cn.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1883-5842

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), while presenting opportunities for higher education, has also triggered adverse psychological consequences such as depression and AI anxiety (AIA) among Chinese university students. However, the symptom-level associational structure and potential directional dependencies between these two constructs remain unclear. Methods: In November 2025, 1610 Chinese university students were recruited online. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the AIA scale (AIAS) were used to measure symptoms of depression and AIA, respectively. Undirected network analysis and Bayesian network analysis were employed to explore the associations between depression and AIA symptoms. Results: Undirected network analysis revealed that PHQ4 ("Fatigue") and PHQ6 ("Worthlessness") were central symptoms. PHQ4 and AIA8 ("Falling behind in AI") were identified as bridge symptoms connecting depression and AIA. Bayesian network analysis further suggested that PHQ4 is a pivotal symptom in the potential directional association between depression and AIA. Conclusion: This study provides symptom-level evidence for the association and potential directional dependencies between depressive symptoms and AIA among Chinese university students. PHQ4 and AIA8 may play important roles in linking depressive symptoms with AIA symptoms, suggesting that they may represent potential targets for future longitudinal and intervention studies.

Indexed as

AnxietyArtificial IntelligenceDepressionStudentsAdolescentAdultBayes TheoremChinaFemaleHumansMaleUniversitiesYoung Adultartificial intelligence anxietydepressionnetwork analysisuniversity students

Identifiers

PMID42404691
PMCPMC13329113

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.