• Posted June 4, 2026

Nearly 1 in 5 Young People Turn to AI Chatbots for Mental Health Advice

Nearly 1 in 5 young people in America turn to AI chatbots for mental health advice — and most aren't telling anyone.

A new nationwide study finds 19.2% of adolescents ages 12 to 21 have used AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, Character.AI or Meta AI for help when feeling sad, angry, nervous or stressed. A RAND survey just one year ago put the figure at 13.1%.

Two-thirds of young people (63%) who use AI chatbots for mental health advice say they haven't told anyone they're doing it, the new study found. And nearly 43% say they seek that advice at least monthly.

Researchers estimate that's about 8.2 million young people nationwide.

The rate is now nearly the same as the percentage who report receiving counseling from a mental health professional.

"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," said lead author Ryan McBain, a senior policy researcher at RAND, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization.

Furthermore, 92% of survey participants said the AI advice they received was somewhat or very helpful.

But researchers warn this may reflect a chatbot's tendency to flatter users rather than the actual quality of its guidance.

"Many young people appear to be using AI chatbots for mental health advice privately, without the knowledge of parents, clinicians or other adults," said study co-author Jonathan Cantor, a RAND senior policy researcher. "That makes it especially important for adults to start conversations about how AI tools are being used and the role they should and should not play."

The study is based on a nationally representative survey of 1,009 teens and young adults conducted in November 2025.

Findings were published June 1 in JAMA Pediatrics.

More information

The National Academy of Medicine has more on AI chatbots and mental health.

SOURCE: HealthDay TV, June 4, 2026