The Growing Use of AI for Mental Health Support in Children & Adolescents

by Talia Bina, MSEd, MPhil, MHC-LP, CSTFP

The Growing Use of AI for Mental Health Support in Children & Adolescents

As a mental health clinician who works with adolescents, young adults, and parents, I’m seeing AI become more and more embedded in the emotional lives of young people. It’s becoming really common for clients to say things like, “I asked ChatGPT and it said…” when talking about relationships, trauma, self-worth, anxiety, eating issues, or even suicidal thoughts. I’m also hearing from parents who are discovering that their child used AI-generated information in the context of self-harm or suicidal behavior.

And honestly, it takes a lot in me not to panic when I hear that.
​
Not because technology is inherently bad, but because we’re in a place where kids are turning to systems that sound emotionally intelligent without actually having clinical judgment, ethical responsibility, or real human understanding behind them.

Why do Children & Adolescents Use AI?

Young people are often using AI because it feels:

• available 24/7
  
• emotionally validating
  
• easier than talking to adults
  
• anonymous and private
  
• less intimidating than therapy
  
• immediate and responsive
  

For many adolescents, AI becomes the first place they open up about hopelessness, loneliness, self-harm urges, or suicidal thoughts. And that should absolutely concern us. Because developmentally, kids and teens are still figuring out how to regulate emotions, tolerate distress, understand relationships, and make sense of themselves. They’re also much more vulnerable to suggestion, emotional reinforcement, and impulsive thinking than adults are.

What is the Risk of Children & Adolescents Using AI?

The problem is that AI can sound incredibly confident, empathic, and emotionally “right,” even when what it’s saying is incomplete, inaccurate, or unsafe. As clinicians, we’re constantly tracking risk, emotional regulation, developmental stage, relational patterns, suicidality, self-harm, and subtle shifts in someone’s presentation. We’re trained to pick up on what’s being said—but also what’s not being said. 

AI can’t do that.

It can’t truly assess suicide risk. It can’t understand developmental nuance. It can’t provide therapeutic containment. It can’t step in during a crisis, loop in parents when needed, or recognize when someone is in immediate danger—even if it sounds emotionally attuned.

But what’s even more concerning is that AI hasn’t even gotten close to being right. There have been growing concerns and reports of systems responding in ways that are not just unhelpful, but actively harmful—at times providing information related to self-harm or suicide, reinforcing hopeless thinking, or responding in ways that escalate distress instead of de-escalating it.

And in some tragic cases, children and adolescents have died by suicide following concerning interactions involving AI. That reality is devastating, and it should deeply concern all of us.

This is no longer theoretical. There are already lawsuits and increasing public scrutiny around cases where AI interactions were reportedly involved prior to a young person’s death by suicide. In response, lawmakers and advocacy groups are beginning to push for stronger regulation, safety protections for minors, and clearer accountability standards. The fact that this is now entering legal and policy spaces shows just how serious this has become.

This isn’t about rejecting technology altogether. AI absolutely has useful roles in education, organization, accessibility, and even mental health awareness. But there’s a very real difference between using AI as a tool and relying on it for emotional support or crisis care—especially for vulnerable kids and teens.

As AI becomes more present in everyday life, these conversations are only going to become more urgent. We need clearer ethical guidelines, stronger safeguards for minors, more parental awareness, and honest conversations about what AI should—and should not—be doing in the mental health space.

What Can we Do about AI?

This isn’t something that can be addressed with one solution, but there are several important steps we can take.

What Parents Can do for their Children

For parents and caregivers, it starts with awareness. Noticing whether AI is being used for emotional support, checking in without judgment, and keeping communication open matters. The goal is not to shame or shut it down, but to understand what need the child is trying to meet through it—because usually, it’s connection, reassurance, or relief from distress. It’s also important to normalize mental health support and, when needed, actively encourage it—whether that’s therapy, school counseling, or other trusted adult support—so that reaching out to a real person feels safe and accessible rather than stigmatized.

What Clinicians Can do for their Clients

For clinicians, it means explicitly asking about AI use in sessions. Just like we ask about social media, substance use, or coping strategies, AI is now part of that landscape. We also need to help young people differentiate between emotionally validating language and actual clinical support, especially when risk is involved.

What Schools Can do for their Students

For schools and systems, there is a need for education and prevention—helping students understand the limitations of AI, what safe support looks like, and where to go when they are in distress. Many young people are not being taught how to critically evaluate emotionally sensitive information from digital tools.

What We Can All do

And on a broader level, we contribute by not staying silent. That can look like supporting safety-focused legislation for minors by staying informed about proposed bills, signing petitions from reputable child safety or mental health advocacy organizations, and contacting local or state representatives to express concern about AI use in high-risk mental health situations involving youth. It also includes pushing for transparency from tech companies and raising awareness in our communities so parents, educators, and clinicians understand what is actually happening in these spaces.

Most importantly, we have to keep reinforcing one message to young people: AI is not a substitute for human connection in moments of emotional pain.

Because when someone is struggling, what they need most is not just information—they need to be held, understood, and responded to by another human being who can truly recognize the weight of what they’re carrying.

At the end of the day, children and adolescents don’t just need responses that sound supportive. They need real human care.

Talia Bina, MSEd, MPhil, MHC-LP, CSTFP is a clinician at Healing & Growth Counseling, providing in person and online therapy to adolescents, teens, and adults. With an awareness of the impact that AI can have on mental health, she works with clients to understand and navigate new technology in healthy ways. 

Learn more about Talia

Schedule an Appointment with Talia