Currently submitted to: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Aug 24, 2026
Open Peer Review Period: Aug 24, 2026 - Oct 19, 2026
(currently open for review)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Adolescents’ Use of AI Chatbots for Social, Emotional and Mental Health Support: A Cross-Sectional, School-Based Survey
ABSTRACT
Background:
An ongoing youth mental health crisis has been linked to social technologies, with gendered and developmental differences in youth mental health outcomes related to social technology exposure. Understanding their uses, attitudes about, and experiences of AI can guide policies, clinical practice, and parental and school-based approaches.
Objective:
Our objective was to characterize adolescents’ uses, attitudes, and experiences regarding GenAI chatbots and examine developmental stage and gender differences.
Methods:
A STROBE-compliant, cross-sectional evaluation using a youth-informed survey in late 2025 was conducted with school-based adolescents (ages 11-18) across eight sociodemographically diverse campuses. Exploratory survey measures assessed adolescents’ uses, attitudes, and experiences regarding GenAI chatbots.
Results:
2,458 adolescents completed the survey (53% of eligible students). Participants included 38% students in grades 6 through 8 and 62% grades 9 through 12; 49% male, 49% female, 0.6% nonbinary/gender fluid; 30% Hispanic/Latine, 21% Black/African American, 18% Asian, 16% White, 9.9% multiracial, and .8% other race. Approximately three-fourths of adolescent participants reported any use of GenAI chatbots, most commonly for socioemotional support (49.5%) and help with school difficulties (62%). The mean age of first use was 12.75 years. Usage was slightly higher among females. Around one-fifth (21%) used AI to share mental health concerns, and around 13% used it to improve their mental health, with both behaviors more commonly reported by females. Early adolescents in grades six to eight (typically ages 11-13) used AI for socioemotional support more often than middle adolescents (typically ages 14-18). Regarding general attitudes, early adolescents held more positive views of AI as a wellness tool than middle adolescents. Additionally, females reported lower general AI optimism and greater AI pessimism than males. Most adolescents (65%) believed AI helped them or a friend, though 9% reported harmful experiences related to AI chatbot use.
Conclusions:
More adolescents may be using AI chatbots for social, emotional, and mental health support than previously estimated, with first use occurring around age 13. Early adolescence may be an optimal window for AI literacy and mental health literacy interventions, parental conversations about AI use (including risks of sycophancy and dependency), and age-appropriate access restrictions at home and school. Clinical Trial: Not applicable
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