ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Health Psychology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1517944
This article is part of the Research TopicImplementing Mental Health Prevention and Promotion Programs: A Sustainable Approach - Volume IIView all 23 articles
Application and evaluation of an intelligent chatbot in providing anxiety self-management support for college students
Provisionally accepted
- Tianjin Gongyi Technology Co., Ltd, Tianjin, China
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Grounded in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based self-management theories, this study investigates the efficacy of an intelligent chatbot in providing anxiety self-management support for college students. Employing a randomized controlled trial design, 300 students were assigned to either an experimental group using the AI-driven chatbot or a control group receiving traditional self-help materials. Over an 8-week intervention period, participants' anxiety levels were assessed using the GAD-7 scale at baseline, mid-intervention (week 4), and post-intervention (week 8), complemented by user interaction analysis and satisfaction surveys. Results demonstrated a significant reduction in anxiety symptoms for the chatbot group compared to the control (mean GAD-7 score decrease: 5.6 vs 1.7, p<.001). The chatbot's effectiveness was primarily mediated through cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation, and emotional regulation pathways.User satisfaction was high (87% reporting scores ≥4 on a 5-point scale), with 24/7 availability and personalized responses as key strengths. Analysis of interaction patterns revealed increased usage during high-stress periods and a positive correlation between engagement frequency and anxiety reduction (r=0.68, p<.001). The study highlights the potential of AI-driven chatbots as scalable, accessible tools for anxiety management in higher education settings, while also identifying areas for future research, including long-term efficacy and cross-cultural applicability.
Keywords: Anxiety management, Chatbot, college students, Mental Health, cognitive behavioral therapy
Received: 27 Oct 2024; Accepted: 22 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Yi Zhan, Tianjin Gongyi Technology Co., Ltd, Tianjin, China
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