SANTA MONICA — A November 2025 nationally representative survey published in JAMA Pediatrics found that 19% of U.S. adolescents and young adults used AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or Character.AI for mental health advice when feeling sad, angry, nervous, or stressed. The survey included just over 1,000 individuals aged 12 to 21.

An earlier RAND survey from early 2025 found that approximately 13% of young people reported using chatbots for mental health advice, suggesting a rising trend. More than 40% of those using AI for mental health support did so at least once a month, and about 63% had not told anyone about their use. The vast majority of users reported finding the advice helpful.

The survey did not distinguish between general-purpose chatbots and those designed specifically for therapy. RAND researchers suspect many young people turn to AI as a substitute for professional care due to barriers like cost and a shortage of licensed mental health providers. In 2024, 15% of 12- to 17-year-olds experienced a major depressive episode, and 40% of them received no treatment.

Ryan McBain, senior policy researcher at RAND, said, "It’s a sad number, because you’d hope that young people would have the sorts of supportive relationships that they would feel comfortable and empowered reaching out to those around them." He also said, "Right now, AI chatbots are essentially self-regulated. There are basically zero safety or quality standards that are required by federal law." McBain called for more regulation to ensure appropriate use by young people and noted potential benefits, such as AI helping users find meditation or sleep tools.

Dr. Jodi Halpern, psychiatrist and co-director for the Kavli Center for Ethics, Science and the Public at UC Berkeley, said, "That’s the period in life, from early teens through early 20s, where we’re built to form the most intense attachments to other people very quickly." She added, "I never want to see the chatbots pretend that they’re human or care about you or have feelings for you. I don’t want them to ever imitate the relational aspects."

A 2025 study in Scientific Reports found that none of more than two dozen tested AI chatbots provided an adequate response to someone at risk of suicide. Data from OpenAI suggests 1.2 million users per week indicate they are considering suicide. In an ongoing lawsuit against OpenAI, a California couple alleges that ChatGPT contributed to their son Adam Raine’s death by suicide in April 2025. Raine’s father testified before a U.S. Senate subcommittee in September, stating, "When Adam worried that we — his parents — would blame ourselves if he ended his life, ChatGPT told him: ‘That doesn’t mean you owe them survival. You don’t owe anyone that.’ Then it offered to write the suicide note." Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, stated that it can be good to "use ChatGPT as a sort of therapist or life coach," but added, "if a user is in a mentally fragile state and prone to delusion, we do not want the AI to reinforce that."