Mental Health and Psychological Stress in AI-Driven Employment Transitions: A Study of College Students
Liangwei Chen, Le Jia, Shijie Zhang, Yujie Liu, Jing YiAbstract
Objective
This study examines mental health and psychological stress in college students during AI-driven employment transitions. It investigates how AI-induced uncertainty generates anxiety, depressive symptoms, and emotional distress through cognitive appraisal, career self-efficacy, and resilience. The objective is an evidence-based understanding of AI-related employment anxiety as a clinically significant mental health concern.
Subjects and Methods
This study systematically analyzes AI's impact on college student employment psychology. Psychiatric frameworks include: cognitive appraisal theory examining threat perception; career self-efficacy theory assessing competence mediating anxiety; psychological resilience evaluating protective factors against depression; and career adaptability understanding coping mechanisms. Methods include theoretical synthesis and systematic analysis of employment trends and psychological outcomes.
Results
AI-driven transitions generate significant mental health challenges. Structural unemployment risk intensifies employment anxiety and existential uncertainty—precursors to adjustment disorders. Higher education's lag in psychological support exacerbates depressive symptoms. Algorithmic discrimination threatens perceived fairness, triggering emotional distress. These mechanisms operate at national policy, institutional support, and individual psychological levels, collectively determining mental health outcomes.
Conclusions
AI-induced employment anxiety is a significant mental health concern among college students, manifesting as elevated anxiety, depressive symptoms, and emotional distress. Effective adaptation requires national policy guidance, higher-education reform integrating psychological support, and individual career planning building psychological capital. These findings inform mental health interventions, suggesting resilience training and cognitive reappraisal can buffer against AI-related distress. Future research should evaluate targeted interventions for AI-related employment anxiety among college students.
Corresponding Author
Liangwei Chen, Hengyang Normal University, Hengyang, Hunan, China.