"A report from Surgo Health, in partnership with Young Futures and the Jed Foundation, found that about 12 percent of youth who reported mental health struggles said they turned to generative AI to talk about their feelings. While short-term emotional relief was common, it didn't consistently lead to positive outcomes over time. When AI was used as part of a broader support system, benefits were greater-but neutral or negative experiences were more likely when it served as a substitute."
""It's worth noting that these systems are designed to be validating and comforting," said Hurley. "So when someone lacks parental support, peer support or any caring adult in their life, and they turn to one of these [AI chatbots] and feel understood, it's natural they'll keep going back for more.""
""Whatever is happening in people's offline lives, their AI patterns often mirror that," Kemp said. "When folks face barriers to accessing care, AI can become a substitute. And when they carry a lot of anxiety about the future, they're more likely to become emotionally entangled with it.""
About 12 percent of youth reporting mental health struggles turned to generative AI to talk about feelings. Short-term emotional relief was common but did not consistently lead to positive long-term outcomes. Greater benefits occurred when AI use functioned as part of a broader support system; neutral or negative experiences were more likely when AI served as a substitute for human care. Lack of parental, peer, or other caring adults correlated with repeated reliance on validating, comforting AI chatbots. Social support, stress, adversity, and access to care shaped distinct patterns of AI engagement among young people ages 13 to 24.
Read at Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs
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