Why Young People Are Seeking Mental Health Advice From AI Chatbots, Study Reveals

The findings supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, which examined 1058 kids and young adults between the ages of 12 and 21 in February and March 2025, revealed 13% reported using AI for mental health advice.

Mental health is a state of mental well-being that allows people think, feel and behave. Healthcare professionals claim that external factors in people's lives and relationships can often contribute to their mental well-being. In 2021, the World Health Organisation (WHO) found that about 350 million people were living with anxiety disorder, which includes 72 million children and adolescents.

1 In 8 Kids, Young Adults Depend On AI For Mental Health Issues

To combat mental health issues, one study published on November 7 in the JAMA Network Open found that 1 in 8 kids and young adults depend on AI to solve problems. The findings supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, which examined 1058 kids and young adults between the ages of 12 and 21 in February and March 2025, revealed 13% reported using AI for mental health advice. Out of which 66% engaged at least monthly and 93% found advices provided by chatbots helpful.

Why Young People Are Seeking Mental Health Advice From AI

Scientists explain that many people turn to AI for mental health advice due to the low cost, immediacy and privacy as compared to traditional counselling services. Ateev Mehrotra, study co-author and professor at the Brown University School of Public Health, in a statement said, "There has been a lot of discussion that adolescents were using ChatGPT for mental health advice, but to our knowledge, no one had ever quantified how common this was."

He added, "I think the most tracking finding was that already, in late 2025, more than one inane at all, and young adults were using [generative AI systems] for mental health advice, and that it was higher among young adults I find those rates remarkably high."

Signs Of Mental Health Disorder

There is no physical test or scan that can indicate whether a person has developed a mental health condition. Healthcare professionals claim that to help yourself and loved ones you must look out for the following possible signs to avail proper treatment for mental health:

• Feeling hopeless
• Avoiding activities you typically enjoy
• Withdrawing from socailizing
• Being unable to complete daily tasks
• Eating too much
• Losing appetite
• Sleeping too much
• Feeling fatigued all the time
• Using substances to cope with mood swings
• Being confused
• Having negative thoughts persistently
• Displaying negative emotions
• Wanting to physically harm themselves
• Hearing voices
• Experiencing delusions

Talking about mental health conditions contributing to loss of healthy life, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO states, "Transforming mental health services is one of the most pressing public health challenges. Investing in mental health means investing in people, communities, and economies an investment no country can afford to neglect. Every government and every leader has a responsibility to act with urgency and to ensure that mental health care is treated not as a privilege, but as a basic right for all."

In september 2 publication, the global health organization calls on governments and global partners to urgently intensify efforts toward systemic transformation of mental health systems worldwide, which includes equitable financing of mental health services, legal and policy reform to uphold human rights, sustained investment in the mental health workforce and

expansion of community-based, person-centered care.

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