AI-Generated Images as Supplementary Communicative Resources in the Disclosure of Mental Distress Among Chinese International Students in the UK

Communicating experiences of mental distress is often challenging, particularly for international students navigating linguistic and cultural gaps. Rather than positioning artificial intelligence (AI) as a therapeutic intervention, this study examines how AI-generated images are perceived as supplementary communicative resources for aiding the expression of mental distress among Chinese international students in the United Kingdom. Twenty participants took part in a three-stage exploratory study. Semi-structured interviews were first conducted to elicit verbal descriptions of mental distress. These descriptions were then transformed into AI-generated images using four different prompt templates. Finally, participants evaluated the perceived helpfulness of the images in supporting their expression alongside verbal descriptions. Findings indicate a positive shift in participants’ perceptions of using AI-generated images to supplement verbal descriptions after engaging with the generated images. Participants reported that images could help externalize subjective and affective experiences that were difficult to articulate verbally, particularly when communicating in a second language. Their responses also suggested that perceived communicative helpfulness of these images was contingent on alignment between visual representation, emotional experience, and their own communicative intention. Images that resonated emotionally were viewed as supportive, whereas misaligned or overly interpretive images were perceived as unhelpful or even unsettling. It is shown that AI-generated images have the potential to serve as communicative aids that may redistribute communicative burden without displacing agency.