Lee J, Allen J, Choi G. Exploring artificial intelligence literacy’s role in healthy behaviors and mental health. World J Psychiatry 2026; 16(1): 110249 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v16.i1.110249]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Jaewon Lee, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Welfare, Inha University, Inha-ro 100, Incheon 22212, South Korea. j343@inha.ac.kr
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Health Policy & Services
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Minireviews
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This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Jan 19, 2026 (publication date) through Dec 31, 2025
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World Journal of Psychiatry
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2220-3206
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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
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Lee J, Allen J, Choi G. Exploring artificial intelligence literacy’s role in healthy behaviors and mental health. World J Psychiatry 2026; 16(1): 110249 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v16.i1.110249]
World J Psychiatry. Jan 19, 2026; 16(1): 110249 Published online Jan 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v16.i1.110249
Exploring artificial intelligence literacy’s role in healthy behaviors and mental health
Jaewon Lee, Jennifer Allen, Gyuhyun Choi
Jaewon Lee, Department of Social Welfare, Inha University, Incheon 22212, South Korea
Jennifer Allen, School of Social Work, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States
Gyuhyun Choi, Integrative Arts Therapy, Dongduk Women’s University, Seoul 02748, South Korea
Author contributions: Lee J, Allen J, and Choi G contributed to editorial changes in the manuscript and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Jaewon Lee, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Welfare, Inha University, Inha-ro 100, Incheon 22212, South Korea. j343@inha.ac.kr
Received: June 5, 2025 Revised: June 12, 2025 Accepted: October 11, 2025 Published online: January 19, 2026 Processing time: 209 Days and 22.2 Hours
Abstract
Healthy behavior has long been linked to mental health outcomes. However, the role of artificial intelligence (AI) literacy in shaping healthy behaviors and its potential impact on mental health remains underexplored. This paper presents a scoping review offering a novel perspective on the intersection of healthy behaviors, mental health, and AI literacy. By examining how individuals’ understanding of AI influences their choices regarding nutrition and their susceptibility to mental health issues, the current study explores emerging trends in health behavior decision-making. This emphasizes the need for integrating AI literacy into mental health and health behaviors education, as well as the development of AI-driven tools to support healthier behavior choices. It highlights that individuals with low AI literacy may misinterpret or overly depend on AI guidance, resulting in maladaptive health choices, while those with high AI literacy may be more likely to engage reflectively and sustain positive behaviors. The paper outlines the importance of inclusive education, user-centered design, and community-based support systems to enhance AI literacy for digitally marginalized groups. AI literacy may be positioned as a key determinant of health equity, better allowing for interdisciplinary strategies that empower individuals to make informed, autonomous decisions that promote both physical and mental health.
Core Tip: This study highlights how artificial intelligence literacy could play a pivotal role in shaping health behaviors and mitigating mental health problems. Bridging physical and psychological health and digital literacy, this study argues for integrating artificial intelligence education into health promotion strategies to foster more effective and equitable healthy behaviors and mental health support systems.
