Measuring Adolescent Use of AI For Mental Health Support: Insights From Jonathan Cantor, PhD

Jonathan Cantor, PhD, a senior policy researcher at RAND, discussed emerging research on adolescents’ use of artificial intelligence (AI) for mental health advice and longstanding gaps in access to behavioral health care. He noted that limited availability of child and adolescent mental health services, compounded by heightened concern during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, motivated interest in whether young people were turning to AI tools for support.

Using the newly launched, nationally representative RAND American Youth Panel, Cantor and colleagues fielded survey questions assessing whether adolescents and young adults sought mental health advice from AI when experiencing negative emotions, how frequently they did so, and how helpful they perceived the responses to be.¹ Approximately 13% of respondents—representing an estimated 5.4 million US youth—reported using AI for mental health advice.² Older adolescents and young adults were more likely to report use, with about two-thirds engaging at least monthly. More than 90% of users reported that the advice was helpful.

Cantor emphasized that these findings provided some of the first nationally representative data on adolescent mental health–related AI use and suggested that such use was already widespread and perceived positively by users. He cautioned, however, that perceived helpfulness did not equate to clinical appropriateness or quality of care. He underscored the need for further research to understand how adolescents interact with these tools, how AI systems respond across varying levels of distress, and whether use complements or attempts to substitute for professional care.

For psychiatrists and policymakers, Cantor highlighted critical unanswered questions regarding safety, privacy, parental involvement, and guardrails for AI being used by younger individuals. He concluded that systematic data collection and reporting standards were essential to inform policy and clinical discussions, stressing that AI should not replace human-delivered mental health care but might play a role that warranted careful, evidence-based evaluation.

Dr Cantor is a senior policy researcher at RAND.

References

1. RAND launches national youth survey panel to elevate student voices in education research. RAND March 7, 2024. Accessed December 15, 2024. https://www.rand.org/news/press/2024/03/07.html

2. McBain RK, Bozick R, Diliberti M, et al. Use of generative AI for mental health advice among US adolescents and young adults. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(11):e2542281.