One in five young people now turn to AI for mental health advice

A recent survey led by Hao Yu, associate professor of population medicine at the Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare Institute, found that the use of AI chatbots for mental health support among young people has risen sharply. Last year the study found one in eight people aged 12-21 turning to AI for mental health problems. This year the figure was nearly one in five, close to 20 percent, a rapid increase over a single year.

The survey, which had 1,727 participants, found older youth and females more likely to use AI for these purposes. It also found that the majority of young people using AI did not disclose that use to any adult, whether parent or physician. Yu described this as concerning, because general-use AI models are not designed to provide mental health advice and misinformation is available through them.

Researchers connect the trend to two pressures acting at once: the spread of AI through daily life and a rising prevalence of mental health difficulties among young people. A shortage of mental health professionals, especially child psychiatrists, means only half of those with mental health needs receive treatment. AI is available at any hour, requires no appointment, and rarely becomes impatient, which gives it appeal for those with limited access to care.

The quality of the responses remains an open question. Yu noted that tragedies, including suicide attempts, have occurred when young people discussed mental health with AI, and that companies' promises of guardrails lack empirical support. Many models are designed to be friendly, agreeable, and flattering, which can keep users engaged without offering sound help. Although more than 90 percent of young users in the study said the advice was useful, whether it is genuinely helpful and accurate remains to be assessed.

Yu encouraged parents and physicians to talk with young people about their possible use of AI, both to identify mental health issues and to help distinguish accurate information from misinformation. He said follow-up surveys are planned and expects the proportion of users to keep rising.

The original reporting is by the Harvard Gazette.