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Around 1 in 5 young people use AI chatbots for mental health advice, survey finds (www.nbcnews.com)

submitted 1 day ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/health@lemmy.world

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Experts worry that some young people are turning to AI bots during mental health crises, which the tech isn’t made to handle. An author of the survey said regulations are needed.

Nearly 1 in 5 adolescents and young adults are turning to AI chatbots for advice when they’re sad, angry, nervous or stressed, according to a new study.

The findings, from the research institute RAND, represent an increase from early 2025, when the nonprofit conducted a similar survey. At the time, around 13% of respondents said they used chatbots for such advice, but the share rose to 19% in the group’s latest survey in November, the results of which were published Monday in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.

“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,” said Ryan McBain, a senior policy researcher at RAND and the lead author of the study.

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[–] german@pawb.social 5 points 5 hours ago (2 children)

Why wouldn’t you? It’s a free way to write down your struggles and get a response without judgment, all without the insurmountable effort and bravery threshold of getting to a therapist, not to mention the cost.

That it’s sycophantic and actually harmful to vulnerable people is beside the point for them, same as lung cancer is beside the point for a smoker, until they get it.

This is a complete failure of the healthcare system. We’ve normalised seeking help, but we failed to make it available. What to speak of the countries where mental healthcare is still stigmatised, it’s probably even higher there. It’s a sad number because the system failed these people, not their friends or family for “not being there enough”

[–] architect@thelemmy.club 1 points 26 minutes ago

Yes, and the classist “just get a therapist” when it’s hundreds of dollars each visit.