Abstract:

In recent years, there has been an increase in the utilisation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in mental health education. However, thus far, there has been limited attention in the literature regarding the perspectives of schools, teachers and children in China on this particular topic. The purpose of this study is to learn more about how teachers and mental health professionals work in primary and secondary schools and view using AI in mental health education for Chinese children. We used a cross-sectional qualitative descriptive design to explore schoolteachers and mental health professionals’ views on the use of AI in mental health education for Chinese children. Potential participants contacted the first author to learn more about the study and scheduled an online interview. Transcripts were uploaded to NVivo 12 software for coding and thematic analysis. Based on our observations and the analysis of the interview data, the development of using AI in mental health education in public schools is unsatisfactory. Although the application of AI in higher education is widespread, it is still in its infancy in primary and secondary education. Although educators and education authorities in China have recently been experimenting with AI technology in the classroom, empirical research on the use of AI in mental health remains scarce. The results of this study unveil the grave state of mental health education in China. It provides insights into the potential benefits and drawbacks of using AI in mental health education for Chinese youth, as well as guidance on effectively integrating this technology into mental health education in China.

Keywords:

Mental health education, Artificial Intelligence, Primary and secondary education in China.