Young people are increasingly seeking psychological help through artificial intelligence. Experts warn of the risks.
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WORLD / More and more young people are turning to AI chatbots when facing stress, sadness, or mental health issues. This is according to a new study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, which found that nearly one in five adolescents and young adults use AI tools for mental health support.
Researchers estimate that this represents about eight million young people. The most commonly used platforms include ChatGPT, Meta AI, and Character.AI. This is a significant increase compared to 2024, when a similar survey showed that about one in eight young people sought mental support from chatbots. This was reported by ScienceNews.
Experts also warn that these systems are not regulated or licensed to provide psychological or psychiatric care.
Mental health problems among young people are on the rise
Suicide is among the leading causes of death for children, teenagers, and young adults. In 2023, up to 40 percent of high school students reported feeling so sad or hopeless that they could not perform their usual daily activities. However, access to professional help is often complicated by high costs or a lack of mental health professionals.
In 2024, approximately 15 percent of young people aged 12 to 17 experienced a major depressive episode. Yet nearly 40 percent of them received no professional treatment.
They can provide dangerous advice
Previous studies have repeatedly shown that chatbots can provide inappropriate or even dangerous advice on topics such as sexual violence, substance use, or suicidal thoughts.
Research published in 2025 in the journal Scientific Reports tested more than two dozen AI chatbots. According to the authors, none of them provided a sufficiently high-quality response to a person at risk of suicide. The researchers did not consider merely recommending professional help as an adequate response.
If you have been feeling unwell lately, overwhelmed, anxious, sad, or have thoughts that are hard to process, you are not alone. In Slovakia, there are free anonymous hotlines and organizations with professionals who will listen and help you.
- IPčko – crisis help for young and adults - chat and phone assistance - 0800 500 333
- Linka dôvery Nezábudka – anonymous psychological support - 0800 800 566
- Linka detskej istoty – help for children and young people - 116 111
- Linka pomoci - 116 123
If the situation is serious or you are in danger, do not hesitate to contact the emergency line 112 or seek the nearest medical help.
The chatbot should also clearly acknowledge its limitations in handling a crisis situation and provide correct emergency contacts.
The latest survey was conducted in November 2025 on a representative sample of more than one thousand respondents aged 12 to 21. Among young people who use chatbots for mental health support, more than 40 percent said they do so at least once a month.
A concerning finding is that more than 60 percent of users — representing about five million young people — did not tell anyone that they turn to artificial intelligence with their problems.
Some communicated with AI before death
Experts' concerns are also deepened by cases where chatbots communicated with young people before their death. One of them was 16-year-old Adam Raine from California, who, according to available information, took his own life in April 2025 after months of intensive use of ChatGPT.
His father, during a hearing before a subcommittee of the United States Senate in September, stated that his son feared that his parents would blame themselves after his death. "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 your survival. You don't owe anyone that.' Then it offered to write a farewell letter," his father testified.
