AWARENESS, PERCEPTION AND ATTITUDE OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ABOUT AI DRIVEN TOOLS FOR PROMOTING MENTAL HEALTH

Mental health contributes to well-being, productivity, and prosperity at both individual and societal levels. The Economic Survey 2024-25 draws a direct connection between mental well-being and India's economic future. Mental health challenges among university students have emerged as one of the most pressing public health concerns of the 21st century. There is a wide disparity between mental health service demand and availability. AI's entry into mental health treatment marks a pivotal moment in the transformation of healthcare delivery. Studies suggest that digital platforms for mental wellness have the potential to address care shortages, shorten wait periods, and provide more affordable treatment options.

This research study investigates the awareness levels, perceptions and attitudes towards AI driven mental health support tools among university students hailing from Mumbai metropolitan and Thane district region. Previous descriptive studies covering this scope in India are insufficient to arrive at generalized findings. This study aims to fill this gap. The research is a descriptive cross sectional study conducted through a self-administered user friendly structured questionnaire circulated to students of various domains and colleges. Awareness was assessed through their familiarity with AI tools and their various functions and offerings. The constructs of perceived benefits, perceived drawbacks and attitude to use AI tools for mental health support were measured through several items. The results revealed that there was no association between gender of students and level of awareness and also their perceptions. However, there is significant correlation between perception and attitude to use AI powered tools for mental health support. These results would give insights to stakeholders such as the higher education institutions, AI product developers and the medical fraternity to promote AI tools as a complementary medium in the mental health care of university students grappling with several stresses.