AI-Assisted Psychological Coping and Well-being among Indian Young Adults

Abstract

This study investigated AI-assisted psychological coping and its connection to psychological well-being among Indian young adults, as well as the relationships among the variables: psychological coping strategies, trust in artificial intelligence (AI), and psychological well-being. A sample of 160 participants from the age ranges of 18-30 years, completed via online survey through Google Forms. Mean age was 22.1 years with almost equal gender distribution. Measures used were the BRIEF COPE scale, the WHO-5 Well-Being Index, an AI Trust Scale. Data was analysed using jamovi software for reliability tests and Pearson’s correlation coefficients. Findings reveal that 23.1% of participants use AI daily for emotional support. All scales achieved good internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha of 0.779 to 0.889. The measurement of psychological coping strategy shows no correlation with psychological well-being (r = -0.019, p = .813). However, there is a significant positive correlation between the measurement of psychological coping strategy and measurement of trust in AI (r = 0.224, p = .004). While trust in AI does not show significant relationship with overall psychological well-being (r = 0.083, p = .296). The findings indicate that Indian young adults commonly use AI into their daily lives for stress management. Higher trust in technology means greater willingness to accept AI-based coping strategies. While these tools provide immediate emotional relief but they do not improve long term psychological functioning. AI-assisted coping is an additional coping strategy rather than a direct predictor of psychological well-being. Artificial intelligence can serves as supportive supplementary resource for emotional regulation but cannot take place of qualified mental health professionals and human relationships.