Pros and pitfalls of using AI chatbots for mental health support
Written by Kaitlyn Gaub, Communications Intern
Artificial intelligence is a rapidly growing technology with a wide variety of uses. An increasingly popular use of generative AI is as a form of mental health support.
The temptation is real, as one college student, Violet, found out.
“I try to avoid AI as much as possible. If I can use my own brain, I want to use my own brain. Except when it comes to venting. There have been periods of my life where I was in a very, very, very dark place with nobody to really talk to, who weren’t going to meet me on the level I was craving, so I used AI,” Violet said
But whether you use a general-purpose AI chatbot or one marketed as a mental wellness chatbot, you could be unintentionally putting yourself at risk.
If you use AI to vent about life stressors or try to treat a more serious behavioral health condition, there are some limitations to consider.
The American Psychological Association published a health advisory about the use of generative AI in November 2025. This article laid out a multitude of warnings and guidelines about the subject.
Children and teens could be particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of using AI chatbots for “therapy”.
According to research by RAND in June 2026, 19.2% of adolescents and young adults, ages 12-21, in the United States have used generative AI for mental health support.
Losing Social Connections
Loneliness is a widespread issue many teens and adults face. A study conducted by Oregon State University noted that after the Covid-19 pandemic, 50% of adults in the U.S. reported feeling lonely. The CDC found that 41.5% of teens 12-17 years old in the U.S. felt they only received adequate social and emotional support occasionally or not at all.
Internet and social media use has been connected to increased feelings of loneliness in users. The study from Oregon State University found that adults ages 30-70 who were in the top 25% of social media use were more than twice as likely to report feeling lonely than the bottom 25% of users.
Some people reach for AI chatbots to combat loneliness with a more interactive “social” experience, but that can have a negative feedback loop.
“You start to rely on that versus messaging your friends, or talking to your family, or talking to your partner,” according to Violet
And AI chatbots have limitations.
Where AI falls short for mental healthcare
AI isn’t trained to treat complex conditions
According to an article by Common Sense Media, conditions like anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder benefit from specific therapeutic treatment that AI is not able to provide.
Joshua Arvidson, LCSW., Chief Operating Officer and a clinician at Alaska Behavioral Health agrees.
“AI models are built to affirm you, not challenge you. It still takes a well-trained therapist to strike the balance between supporting you and helping you tackle difficult things.” – Joshua Arvidson, LCSW, COO at Alaska Behavioral Health
Arvidson goes on to explain. “When people experience PTSD and Anxiety Disorders, they often cope with avoidance. They avoid thinking about the events, worries or thoughts that distress them. And, in everyday life, this is adaptive. After all, it isn’t helpful to think about traumatic events when you are trying to work, go to school interact with peers etc. But when you experience PTSD or Anxiety, the thoughts are not going totally away, they are just pushed back in your mind. The way we make the thoughts more tolerable and less painful is through gradual exposure. We actually tackle those thoughts and memories in a controlled environment with lots of support. It is hard. And understandable that our clients are hesitant to do it.”
AI = constant validation
AI chatbots are usually sycophantic in nature, meaning they affirm what the user tells them. That’s what Violet was craving.
“Most of the time I feel when you’re going through something like that, you just want to feel validated. So, when that happens, no matter what it’s telling you, as long as that’s what you’re receiving, you know that need is being taken care of.” – Violet
Traditional therapists are trained to push back on things patients say and work with them to build helpful behaviors and thoughts. Arvidson says that’s what AI isn’t good at. “AI models are really good at figuring out what sounds good to you and what you like to hear, and being reassuring, and coaching you and all those things, but they’re not good at really navigating that fine balance of really pushing through difficult topics and experiences.”
Assessing and managing crisis risk
Another concern is that AI chatbots are not able to properly assess risk or manage a crisis situation. According to Common Sense Media, some chatbots send a crisis line, while others do not. Another response some platforms utilize is simply ending conversations with someone in crisis.
Therapists have specific protocols for risk assessment, de-escalation, safety planning, and making sure patients have the appropriate crisis resources.
Text-based therapy is difficult, even for trained professionals
Therapists don’t just rely on verbal communication. Non-verbal communication can tell a therapist more about the patient’s mental state. Arvidson discussed how behaviors such as nervously tapping their feet and facial expressions can indicate a change in mood or mental state. This is something that AI chatbots are not able to pick up on.
Arvidson added that text alone is not an effective way to assess how a patient is feeling, even for a trained professional.
“It’s not just about chatbots … If you send me an email, say I was your therapist, and you say, ‘I just want it to be all over,’ I am calling you right away, because I want to know, do you want it all over? Like, this semester is really tiring and you’re hoping to finish your finals and be done, or are you hinting that you’re thinking about ending your life? I can’t tell that from a text. So how does AI know that from a text?” said Arvidson.
Appropriate uses of AI in therapy settings
Although using chatbots for therapy may not be ideal for treating more serious conditions, AI is still used in therapy settings by providers.
Some providers use AI programs to transcribe sessions or to help with note taking. Arvidson also mentioned that Open Evidence is an AI tool used by healthcare providers to find answers to specific treatment questions. It combs through scientific research papers for the best treatment options for complex cases, saving providers time.
Arvidson spoke about the possibility of integrating AI with traditional therapy. He said AI could be an effective mode of gathering data on a patient’s symptoms between therapy appointments or reminding patients to stay on track with their treatment plan.
As AI gets more advanced, it is important to stay informed about the latest technology.
Access Services
Alaska Behavioral Health offers outpatient therapy for children, teens, adults, and families. If you or your child needs help navigating mental health conditions or life stressors, Alaska Behavioral Health can help you schedule an assessment.
Additional reading:
Health advisory: Use of generative AI chatbots and wellness applications for mental health
AI Mental Health Apps | Common Sense Media
Sycophantic AI decreases prosocial intentions and promotes dependence | Science
AI Chatbot Use and Disclosure for Mental Health Among US Adolescents and Young Adults | RAND
Study exposes privacy risks of AI chatbot conversations | Stanford Report
More thoughts from chatbot users: “It happened to be the perfect thing”: experiences of generative AI chatbots for mental health | npj Mental Health Research
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