Attitudes toward AI in health- and non-health-related contexts: Context matters, not mood or perceived social support

As artificial intelligence (AI) systems increasingly permeate healthcare and daily life, understanding the factors that shape attitudes toward their use is crucial. This study examined how individuals' general attitudes toward AI and their willingness to use AI-based tools in specific situations vary, and how these relate to mood, pain-related affective traits, and perceived social support. A total of 302 participants completed self-report measures assessing willingness to use AI in three contexts (health without pain, health with pain, and non-health; measured by scales in a Situational Judgment Task), along with general attitudes toward AI, mood (depression, anxiety, stress), pain catastrophizing, fear of pain, and perceived social support from family, friends, and others. Results revealed that willingness to use AI is strongly context-dependent: participants were less inclined to use AI in health-related scenarios, especially those involving pain, than in non-health contexts. Positive general attitudes toward AI consistently associated with willingness to use AI in all contexts, whereas negative attitudes did not. Mood variables were unrelated to AI attitudes or use. In contrast, pain-related affective traits showed modest associations: higher pain catastrophizing and fear of pain were linked to greater willingness to use AI in pain-related contexts, while helplessness was associated with more negative general attitudes toward AI. Perceived social support showed limited and inconsistent associations with AI use. Overall, the findings suggest that situational context and pain-related affective traits, rather than general mood or social support, play central roles in shaping attitudes toward AI use, particularly in sensitive healthcare settings.