1 in 5 young Americans use AI chatbots for mental health advice
A RAND study says 19.2% of Americans ages 12 to 21 have used an AI chatbot for mental health advice. Use rose sharply in one year, and many users did not tell a parent, doctor, or other adult. For people building AI tools, this shows why clear limits and safety steps matter.
Key points
- The survey covered 1,009 people ages 12 to 21 in the U.S.
- Use rose from 13.1% to 19.2% in about a year.
- Among users, 63% had not told anyone they used the tool this way.
- AI products that touch mental health need clear crisis guidance and paths to human help.
Quick term guide
- AI chatbot
- A computer program that replies in a chat like a person.
- chatbot
- A program that talks with people through text.
- mental health
- A person's emotional well-being, including stress, anxiety, and sadness.
- OC
- Short for Original Character — a fictional character invented by the user themselves, not from an existing story or franchise.
- ADU
- A small, independent living space built on the same property as a main house (Accessory Dwelling Unit).
- build
- A chosen set of in-game abilities or items a player equips for their character.
- AI tools
- Software that can help create text, code, images, or other work.
- GUI
- A graphical interface you control with mouse clicks, rather than by typing text commands.