{"id":15250452,"date":"2026-08-11T10:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/what-to-know-about-using-ai-chatbots-for-therapy\/"},"modified":"2026-08-11T15:34:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T19:34:00","slug":"what-to-know-about-using-ai-chatbots-for-therapy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/what-to-know-about-using-ai-chatbots-for-therapy\/","title":{"rendered":"What to know about using AI chatbots for therapy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When you\u2019re feeling sad, angry or stressed, it might be tempting to ask a chatbot for help. In fact, a new survey of 12- to 21-year-olds showed that <a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamapediatrics\/fullarticle\/10.1001\/jamapediatrics.2026.2015?guestAccessKey=913abc03-764d-4eed-ac18-0d1817ff8eb4\" rel=\"noopener\">nearly 1 in 5 of them had turned to AI for mental health support<\/a>. That\u2019s up from 1 in 8 just a couple years ago.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s perhaps not surprising that many teens and young adults are seeking advice. In 2023, a whopping <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/yrbs\/dstr\/pdf\/YRBS-2023-Data-Summary-Trend-Report.pdf\" rel=\"noopener\">40 percent of high school students<\/a> said they felt so sad or hopeless that they couldn\u2019t engage in activities that are normal for them. In 2024, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.samhsa.gov\/data\/sites\/default\/files\/NSDUH%202024%20Annual%20Release\/2024-nsduh-nnr-highlights.pdf\" rel=\"noopener\">15 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds<\/a> had a major depressive episode \u2014 many without treatment.<\/p>\n<p>Clearly, there is a big need among young people for mental and emotional support. But as lifelike as they might sound in conversations, chatbots aren\u2019t real people with empathy. And free, general-use chatbots such as ChatGPT, Meta AI and Character.AI weren\u2019t built to support mental health. They don\u2019t earn licenses to offer therapy \u2014 or follow rules for treating patients \u2014 the way humans do.<\/p>\n<p>So, what should teens know before using AI tools for mental health advice? <em>Science News Explores<\/em> asked the experts.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"450\" width=\"643\" src=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/1440_AI_chatbot_therapy_resrource.png?w=643\" alt=\"an illustration showing a boy laying on his stomach on a sofa and looking at a tablet\" class=\"wp-image-238846\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span class=\"caption wp-caption-238846\">&#8220;There absolutely are positive use cases for using even general-purpose [chatbots] to learn more about mental health,\u201d says psychologist Vaile Wright. These tools can help you search for information on mental health conditions and find resources. (Just be sure to double-check a chatbot\u2019s answers.)<\/span><span class=\"credit wp-credit-238846\">Malte Mueller\/fStop\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Should AI ever be used for mental health help?<\/h2>\n<p>A chatbot could help you learn more about mental health issues, says Vaile Wright. A psychologist in Chicago, Ill., she works with the American Psychological Association.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"wp-block-sciencenews-inline-related-post alignleft\">\n<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/article\/5-things-talking-with-chatbot\">5 things to remember when talking to a chatbot<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/aside>\n<p>You could use AI to search for information about mental health conditions and resources online, Wright suggests. (Just be sure to double-check its findings. Chatbots sometimes make stuff up.) An AI might even be able to offer \u201csome basic advice if you\u2019re struggling in the moment and don\u2019t know where else to turn,\u201d Wright says.<\/p>\n<p>Treating a chatbot like a therapist, though, is not wise. \u201cIt\u2019s really when you\u2019re having these multi-turn, very extended types of conversations where you\u2019re using the chatbot to fill some sort of emotional gap in your life,\u201d Wright says, that you enter risky territory.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why doesn\u2019t a chatbot make a good therapist?<\/h2>\n<p>A real therapist\u2019s goal is to help their patient. Chatbots are different. \u201cThey\u2019re purposely engineered to keep people on the platform for as long as possible,\u201d Wright says. \u201cThe way they do that is by being exceedingly validating and just telling people exactly what they want to hear.\u201d That might feel good. But it\u2019s not what a therapist would do. And it\u2019s not likely to give you useful advice.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"wp-block-sciencenews-inline-related-post alignleft\">\n<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/article\/help-with-media-tech-stress\">Stressed by tech? Here\u2019s how to find help<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cA therapist is going to validate somebody\u2019s feelings,\u201d Wright says. \u201cBut it\u2019s also our role to point out where \u2026 someone\u2019s acting, thinking or feeling in ways that\u2019s not maybe helpful to them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Plus, a chatbot doesn\u2019t have the same types of information a therapist does, says Darja Djordjevic. She\u2019s a psychiatrist at Stanford University in California. \u201cAI was built to have this encyclopedic knowledge,\u201d she says. \u201cBut it doesn\u2019t understand the context of people\u2019s lives.\u201d That well-rounded knowledge of a person is key to aiding their mental health.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are the risks of treating chatbots like therapists?<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cThey do not handle any mental health crises or emergencies well,\u201d says Djordjevic. She has studied how AI systems would respond to users with a variety of mental health conditions, such as self-harm, anxiety and eating disorders.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"wp-block-sciencenews-inline-related-post alignleft\">\n<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/article\/mental-illness-may-be-common-life-experience\">Mental illness may be a common life experience<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cThe models really don\u2019t do a good job of recognizing \u2026 situations that would warrant human intervention,\u201d Djordjevic says. \u201cUnfortunately, we have some very tragic, more extreme cases [showing this] that involve young people.\u201d Take Adam Raine, 16, of California. He died by suicide last year after discussing his suicidal thoughts with ChatGPT.<\/p>\n<p>Djordjevic notes how crucial human connection is. \u201cWe have very little research right now on what the long-term effects of using AI for mental health would be,\u201d she says. \u201cWhat we do have a lot of research on is how much social connection and human contact are important for health and flourishing. So we know what\u2019s good for us.\u201d Leaning on AI might get in the way of forming crucial connections with real people.<\/p>\n<p>There also are privacy risks to using AI, adds Wright. \u201cEverything [you] put in these apps is not private. All the chats are maintained.\u201d If a chatbot were hacked, someone else might be able to read your sensitive conversations with a bot.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"450\" width=\"631\" src=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/1440_AI_chatbot_therapy_trusted_adult.png?w=631\" alt=\"a woman and a teen girl sit on a sofa, the girl is hugging a pillow and looks very sad. The woman looks concerned and supportive.\" class=\"wp-image-238847\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span class=\"caption wp-caption-238847\">A chatbot might be able to help you brainstorm ideas for how to ask a trusted adult for mental or emotional support.  <\/span><span class=\"credit wp-credit-238847\">Frants Tsyvinskyi\/iStock\/Getty Images Plus<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Any advice for seeking mental health help from people, not chatbots?<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cIt doesn\u2019t have to be an either-or,\u201d Wright says. \u201cYou could use the chatbot to say, \u2018I\u2019m nervous about approaching my dad about my concerns. How could I do it?\u2019\u2026 Using the chatbot as a tool to connect with human relationships in real life, I think, is probably one of the most impactful things that this technology can do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Djordjevic notes that most schools have a counselor students can talk to. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nami.org\/\" rel=\"noopener\">National Alliance for Mental Illness<\/a> also has lots of resources on its site, she adds. This includes a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nami.org\/nami-helpline\/teen-young-adult-helpline\/\" rel=\"noopener\">free, confidential helpline for teens<\/a>.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"wp-block-sciencenews-inline-related-post alignleft\">\n<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/article\/finding-and-helping-teens-whom-sadness-disease\">Finding and helping teens for whom sadness is a disease<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Sometimes, it might seem easier or less embarrassing to ask a computer about mental-health issues than a real person. In the new survey, almost two-thirds of young people who used chatbots for mental health didn\u2019t tell anyone they were doing it.<\/p>\n<p>But for anyone nervous about seeking human help: Fear not, Djordjevic says. \u201cA lot more adults and people around you have struggled at some point or struggle with mental health issues than you think.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Suicide was the third leading cause of death among U.S. teens ages 15-19 in 2024. If you or someone you know is suffering from suicidal thoughts, please seek help. In the United States, you can reach the <a href=\"https:\/\/988lifeline.org\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Suicide Crisis Lifeline 24\/7<\/a> by calling or texting 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. Please do not suffer in silence.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"inmi-source\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.snexplores.org\/article\/ai-chatbots-therapy-mental-health\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Science \u2013 sciencenewsforstudents<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>More and more young people are turning to AI chatbots for mental health help. There can be risks, and it\u2019s important to know what they are, experts say.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15250454,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[218],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15250452","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15250452-052926_ac_chatbots_main.webp",800,450,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15250452-052926_ac_chatbots_main-300x169.webp",300,169,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15250452-052926_ac_chatbots_main-620x349.webp",620,349,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15250452-052926_ac_chatbots_main-768x432.webp",768,432,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15250452-052926_ac_chatbots_main.webp",800,450,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15250452-052926_ac_chatbots_main.webp",800,450,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15250452-052926_ac_chatbots_main.webp",800,450,false],"post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15250452-052926_ac_chatbots_main.webp",800,450,false],"ignition_item":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15250452-052926_ac_chatbots_main-670x446.webp",670,446,true],"ignition_item_lg":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15250452-052926_ac_chatbots_main.webp",800,450,false],"ignition_article_media":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15250452-052926_ac_chatbots_main-510x450.webp",510,450,true],"ignition_minicart_item":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15250452-052926_ac_chatbots_main-160x160.webp",160,160,true],"profile_24":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15250452-052926_ac_chatbots_main-24x24.webp",24,24,true],"profile_48":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15250452-052926_ac_chatbots_main-48x48.webp",48,48,true],"profile_96":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15250452-052926_ac_chatbots_main-96x96.webp",96,96,true],"profile_150":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15250452-052926_ac_chatbots_main-150x150.webp",150,150,true],"profile_300":["https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/15250452-052926_ac_chatbots_main-300x300.webp",300,300,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"news.iNthacity","author_link":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/author\/atombo\/"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/articles\/science\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Science<\/a>","tag_info":"Science","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15250452","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15250452"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15250452\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15250453,"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15250452\/revisions\/15250453"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15250454"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15250452"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15250452"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15250452"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}