{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]],"date-time":"2026-06-02T06:05:19Z","timestamp":1780380319108,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":73,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]],"date-time":"2026-06-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1780358400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychiatry"],"abstract":"<jats:p>China is advancing the implementation of the \u201cAI+\u201d initiative and exploring the promotion of AI technology in scenarios such as health management and assisted diagnosis. Against this backdrop, universities are accelerating the adoption of GenAI virtual counseling tools to address the growing psychological issues among undergraduates, including depression, anxiety, and academic stress. However, research on why students are shifting from traditional in-person psychological consultations to GenAI consultations remains limited. Therefore, this study focuses on the student population, collecting data through online questionnaires and employing the PLS-SEM method to systematically analyze the key factors and underlying mechanisms influencing students\u2019 willingness to transition from campus psychologists to GenAI virtual doctors. The findings reveal that privacy concerns, social anxiety, and stigma surrounding mental illness significantly enhance students\u2019 inclination toward AI consultations. The comfort level of interacting with AI and the accessibility of AI services play mediating roles. Additionally, perceived AI information quality significantly moderates the pathways through which privacy concerns, social anxiety, and stigma influence the willingness to switch. This study provides a theoretical foundation and practical reference for universities to develop intelligent psychological support systems that align with students\u2019 actual needs.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2026.1827394","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]],"date-time":"2026-06-02T05:42:07Z","timestamp":1780378927000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Platform shift in mental health support among undergraduates: from campus counselors to GenAI-based consultation\u200b"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Lin","family":"Wang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Student Affairs, Shandong Second Medical University","place":["Weifang, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yuwei","family":"Zang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Student Affairs, Shandong Second Medical University","place":["Weifang, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yunfeng","family":"Xing","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Renmin University of China","place":["Beijing, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cpr.2022.102242","article-title":"The effectiveness of mental illness stigma-reduction interventions: A systematic meta-review of meta-analyses","volume":"100","author":"McCullock","year":"2023","journal-title":"Clin Psychol Rev"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/healthcare10040676","article-title":"Mental health of Czech university psychology students: Negative mental health attitudes, mental health shame and self-compassion","volume":"10","author":"Kotera","year":"2022","journal-title":"Healthcare"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/mpr.1782","article-title":"Barriers of mental health treatment utilization among first-year college students: First cross-national results from the Who World Mental Health International College Student Initiative","volume":"28","author":"Ebert","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int J Methods Psychiatr Res"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cpr.2017.05.004","article-title":"Gender differences in social anxiety disorder: A review","volume":"56","author":"Asher","year":"2017","journal-title":"Clin Psychol Rev"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2196\/12869","article-title":"Digital mental health interventions for depression, anxiety, and enhancement of psychological well-being among college students: Systematic review","volume":"21","author":"Lattie","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Med Internet Res"},{"key":"B6","article-title":"36 questions to loving a chatbot: Are people willing to self-disclose to a chatbot","author":"Croes","year":"2020"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"94","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chb.2014.04.043","article-title":"It's only a computer: Virtual humans increase willingness to disclose","volume":"37","author":"Lucas","year":"2014","journal-title":"Comput Hum Behav"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.copsyc.2020.04.005","article-title":"Ai in mental health","volume":"36","author":"D'Alfonso","year":"2020","journal-title":"Curr Opin Psychol"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2196\/66632","article-title":"Designing chatbots to treat depression in youth: Qualitative study","volume":"12","author":"Kuhlmeier","year":"2025","journal-title":"JMIR Hum Factors"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"595","DOI":"10.1038\/s41591-023-02766-x","article-title":"Closing the accessibility gap to mental health treatment with a personalized self-referral chatbot","volume":"30","author":"Habicht","year":"2024","journal-title":"Nat Med"},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"11","DOI":"10.1017\/s0033291714000129","article-title":"What is the impact of mental health-related stigma on help-seeking? 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