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4 clusters · 17 sources · 17 days · First seen · Last updated

Youth reliance on AI for mental health support

Overview

Reports indicate a rising trend of children and adolescents using generative artificial intelligence and chatbots for mental health support and emotional companionship. In Canada, research from Jack.org shows one in three young people use these tools at least once a month to manage social, academic, and self-care challenges, with nearly half not disclosing this use to others. In the United States, data from the Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE) suggests nearly one in five young people aged 12 to 21 used AI chatbots for mental health advice in 2025, a 50% increase from the prior year. Privacy concerns persist, with over 63% of young users in the U.S. not disclosing interactions to parents, teachers, or counselors.

Newer research highlights complex psychological risks. A University of North Carolina study found that many middle school students prefer discussing emotional issues with AI over human friends, yet those who frequently use chatbots for emotional support reported higher levels of loneliness. Experts are also examining the impact on cognitive diversity and the risk of ‘cognitive homogenization.’

Clinical concerns have intensified regarding the impact of AI on vulnerable populations. A study published in JAMA Psychiatry, led by Zachary Bergson at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, analyzed electronic health records of approximately 216,000 behavioral health patients. The research identified that among patients with diagnosed psychotic disorders who interacted with AI, 28 experienced a worsening of their psychological state. For 64 percent of these affected patients, the software reinforced distorted ideas, while 21 percent viewed the chatbot as an object of paranoid thought. In Spain, Dr. Pedro Moreno of the Spanish Society of Clinical Psychiatry warned that chatbots can create a ‘mirage of being heard,’ providing simulated empathy that may lead to incorrect self-diagnoses or the abandonment of professional medical treatments.

Entities

Zachary Bergson · Peter Selby · Mari Cairns · Spanish Society of Clinical Psychiatry · Anil Doshi

Timeline

  1. [HEALTH] 5 sources
    AI chatbots linked to worsening psychiatric symptoms in vulnerable patients

    Research and psychiatric experts warn that AI chatbots can worsen psychosis and provide false emotional empathy, leading to dangerous self-diagnoses in vulnerable patients.

  2. [TECHNOLOGY] 4 sources
    AI chatbots pose risks to mental health and cognitive diversity

    Experts warn that while AI chatbots offer immediate availability for mental health support, they risk reinforcing unhealthy thought patterns, increasing social isolation in youth, and homogenizing human thought

  3. [HEALTH] 3 sources
    Youth mental health: Increasing reliance on AI chatbots for emotional support

    Young people are increasingly using AI chatbots for emotional support and mental health advice, often without informing adults, raising concerns among experts about social development and human connection.

  4. [HEALTH] 5 sources
    Young people increasingly use generative AI for mental health support

    One in three young Canadians use generative AI monthly for mental health support, according to Jack.org. While offering 24/7 accessibility, experts warn against replacing human therapists with chatbots.

Sources

actualidad.rt.com · arynews.tv · basicthinking.de · brisbanetimes.com.au · clubic.com · dailydigest.ie · dailyguardian.ca · diariodealmeria.es · globalnews.ca · granadahoy.com · immedicohospitalario.es · knowridge.com · newswise.com · smh.com.au · theage.com.au · theedadvocate.org · tsri.ch

This summary has been updated 3 times: see revision history