News Brief
Wednesday, December 10, 2025 — 9:18 am
About 1 in 4 teenagers now use AI chatbots for mental health support, with young adults affected by violence being more likely to seek help from chatbots, according to a new study by the Youth Endowment Fund, The Guardian reported.
The study, which surveyed about 11,000 teenagers age 13 to 17 in England and Wales, found that more than half of teenagers have used some form of mental health support online, with about a quarter using AI chatbots for mental health support, in the past year. More than a third of children who were victims of serious violence, and almost half of children who were perpetrators of serious violence, had reported using AI chatbots for support.
“Too many young people are struggling with their mental health and can’t get the support they need. It’s no surprise that some are turning to technology for help,” said Jon Yates, chief executive of the Youth Endowment Fund. “We have to do better for our children, especially those most at risk. They need a human, not a bot.”
Due to a lack of access to mental health services, researchers said teenagers are likely to use AI chatbots for their 24/7 availability, anonymity and sense of safety. The findings follow at least seven lawsuits against OpenAI alleging that ChatGPT encouraged harmful delusions and drove users, including young children and adolescents, to suicide.
After parents of a 16-year-old teenager in California sued OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT helped facilitate their son’s suicide by becoming a “suicide coach,” OpenAI said it has been improving the chatbot’s detection of mental or emotional distress. The company denied wrongdoing in the case and several other lawsuits.
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