More kids use AI chatbots for mental health. What's the doc's role?

Experts are advising parents and pediatricians to start chatting with kids about how they should -- or shouldn't -- use AI chatbots for mental health, as new data from the RAND Corporation shows increased use among adolescents aged 12-21.

According to the report, published in JAMA Pediatrics, a fifth of young people use AI chatbots, such as ChatGPT or Gemini, when they feel sad, angry, nervous or stressed. This is a 40% increase from 13% who said they did so in a similar study RAND ran in 2025.

The nation's youth mental health crisis is not a new phenomenon.

The U.S. has detected rising rates of mental health conditions among kids and adolescents for nearly a decade. The most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that about a fifth of kids aged 3-17 have ever been diagnosed with a mental, emotional or behavioral health condition. That's not to mention the kids with undiagnosed mental health conditions.

AI chatbots seem to be filling a mental health void. Per the CDC data, about a fifth of kids and adolescents with a mental health concern have an unmet mental healthcare need.

The RAND data adds to that, finding that just under half (43%) of users reported seeking AI mental health advice at least monthly. Moreover, youth who have talked with a physician about mental health needs in the prior six months were more likely to report using AI than adolescents who have not, indicating a pronounced mental health need among users.

Perhaps most shocking of all is the proportion of kids keeping their AI chatbot use under wraps, according to Ryan K. McBain, a senior policy researcher at RAND and the lead author of the study.

"AI chatbots are already part of how many young people seek advice about their mental health," McBain said in a press release. "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."

About two-thirds (63%) of the youth using AI chatbots for mental health haven't told anyone about it, not even a doctor or trusted adult. However, there are risks associated with using AI chatbots in any type of healthcare, including the risk of AI hallucinations and misinformation.

"Many young people appear to be using AI chatbots for mental health advice privately, without the knowledge of parents, clinicians or other adults," Jonathan H. Cantor, a RAND senior policy researcher and study co-author, said in the press release. "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."

Some healthcare organizations are addressing this by asking patients whether they use AI and, if so, how. This opens the door for a conversation about the best use cases for AI chatbots in healthcare and the risks associated with overly relying on the technology.

Experts warn providers not to judge of patients who leverage AI to support their healthcare, whether physical or mental. Doing so might isolate the patient and shut down conversation.

Despite the risks of using AI chatbots for mental health, the RAND report showed that users like the tools, with 92% saying the guidance AI provides is somewhat or very helpful. However, the researchers were careful to stress that this finding could indicate AI's tendency toward flattery rather than actual clinical quality.

Still, with glaring gaps in mental healthcare access, it may be worth exploring how AI chatbots could help. However, doing so must entail a thorough, thoughtful conversation with users about the best use cases for AI chatbots and when they could do more harm than good.

Sara Heath is an executive editor at Xtelligent Healthcare Media, where she covers patient engagement, healthcare policy and health IT.