One in four teens turning to AI chatbots for mental health support, study finds
Staggering number of teens using chatbots for mental health support
- A study by the Youth Endowment Fund found that a quarter of teenagers in England and Wales used AI chatbots for mental health support in the last year.
- Young people affected by serious violence were even more likely to seek help from AI chatbots, with 38 per cent of victims and 44 per cent of perpetrators using them.
- Charity leaders and the NHS have warned against using AI chatbots for mental health, stating they cannot replace human support and may offer harmful advice.
- Experts suggest teenagers are turning to AI due to a lack of accessible human mental health support and the perceived anonymity of chatbots.
- The research also highlighted significant mental health challenges among teenagers, with many reporting high levels of difficulties, diagnoses, self-harm, or suicidal thoughts.