Reducing Depressive Symptoms through AI-Guided Narrative Self-Films: A Formative Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract Depression remains a leading global health concern, yet theory-based applications of generative artificial intelligence (AI) to mental-health support have received little empirical scrutiny. The present study tested a five-day, AI-assisted “self-film” intervention grounded in narrative-identity theory. In a 3 (value framing: independent, interdependent, neutral) × 2 (narrative arc: ideal-only, conflict-resolution) factorial randomized controlled trial, 181 Chinese undergraduates with mi