AI Chatbots Often Used by Teens for Mental Health Advice

TUESDAY, June 9, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Almost 1 in 5 adolescents report using artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots for mental health advice, according to a study published online June 1 in JAMA Pediatrics.Ryan K. McBain, Ph.D., M.P.H., from RAND in Arlington, Virginia, and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional, nationally representative survey involving adolescents and young adults aged 12 to 21 years to examine self-reported use of AI chatbots for mental health advice.Among a U.S. population-weighted cohort of 42,825,655 youth, 19.2 percent of adolescents and young adults reported having used AI chatbots for mental health advice in 2025. The researchers found that 42.8 percent of those who sought advice from AI chatbots did so at least monthly, and the advice was rated as somewhat or very helpful by 91.7 percent. Overall, 63.3 percent of adolescents reported that they had not disclosed AI chatbot use for mental health advice to anyone. AI chatbot use for mental health advice was more common for females than males (adjusted odds ratio, 2.10), for those aged 18 to 21 years versus those aged 12 to 14 years (adjusted odds ratio, 3.65), and for those who had versus had not spoken to their physician about their mental health in the previous six months (adjusted odds ratio, 1.89)."AI chatbots are already part of how many young people seek advice about their mental health," McBain said in a statement. "The speed of growth is attention-grabbing, but so is the fact that most young people who use these tools for mental health advice say they are not telling anyone."Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical and medical technology industries.Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

AI Chatbots Often Used by Teens for Mental Health Advice

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