Dr. Jonathan Canter, Senior Policy Researcher at Randland, discussed new research on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) among youth for mental health advice and long-standing gaps in access to behavioral health care. He noted that the availability of child and youth mental health services is limited, exacerbated by heightened concerns during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and there is growing interest in whether young people are turning to AI tools for support.
Using the newly launched nationally representative Rand University American Youth Commission, Kanter and colleagues conducted survey questions that assessed whether, how often, adolescents and young adults sought mental health advice from AI when experiencing negative emotions, and how helpful they perceived the responses to be.1 Approximately 13% of respondents, representing approximately 5.4 million young adults in the United States, reported using AI for mental health advice.2 Older adolescents and young adults were more likely to report use, with approximately two-thirds using at least monthly. Over 90% of users found the advice helpful.
Cantor highlighted that these findings provided some of the first nationally representative data on mental health-related AI use among youth, and suggested that such use is already widespread and positively perceived by users. However, he cautioned that perceived usefulness does not equate to clinical appropriateness or quality of care. He emphasized the need for further research to understand how adolescents interact with these tools, how AI systems respond to different levels of distress, and whether they use complementary methods or attempt to substitute professional care.
Kanter highlighted important unanswered questions for psychiatrists and policymakers, including safety, privacy, parental involvement, and guardrails for AI used by young people. He concluded that systematic data collection and reporting standards are essential to inform policy and clinical discussions, stressing that AI should not replace human mental health care, but could serve to justify careful, evidence-based evaluation.
Dr. Canter He is a senior policy researcher at RAND.
References
1. RAND launches a National Youth Research Council to increase student voice in educational research. RAND March 7, 2024. Accessed December 15, 2024.
2. McBain RK, Bozick R, Diliberti M, et al.
