Teens Who Talk to AI When They're Upset Report More Anxiety and Loneliness

If your teenager opens a chatbot when they're upset, they are doing what more than half of the middle and high school students in a new survey said they do when they feel sad, stressed, lonely or overwhelmed. The teens who turn to AI for comfort or company also report more anxiety, depression and loneliness than the teens who don't.

The Jed Foundation (JED), a nonprofit that works on suicide prevention for teens and young adults, released the full report on Oct. 27. JED surveyed 5,560 students at 21 U.S. schools in its programs between October 2025 and April 2026, with funding from the Nielsen Foundation and input from the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children's Hospital.

Students who used AI for any reason did not differ significantly in their mental health, well-being or history of suicidal thoughts and attempts from students who used none. It was the teens who used AI for friendship or companionship, or who sought help from it when they were struggling emotionally, who reported more anxiety and depression, more loneliness, lower resilience and a greater history of suicidal thoughts and attempts. Other uses, including asking AI for advice on relationships or problems and even homework, were linked to some of those measures but not all of them.

Because the answers were collected at a single point in time, JED cannot tell whether using AI in these ways contributes to poorer well-being or whether teens who are already struggling are more likely to reach for it. The 21 schools are not a nationally representative sample either, though JED says its AI use rates match national data well. JED is calling for independent research that follows young people over time, and for AI companies and lawmakers to put stronger protections in place for young users.

In July we looked at the reasons teenagers give for confiding in chatbots. JED describes its report, written by Dr. Kayla Anderson, its vice president of research and evaluation, as among the first to examine how those habits relate to young people's mental health and history of suicidal thoughts.

“While AI may offer youth an immediate and accessible outlet, it cannot replicate the developmental, protective, and necessary benefits of human connection.”

— Dr. Kayla Anderson, Vice President of Research and Evaluation, The Jed Foundation

Most Teens Who Use AI When They're Upset Don't Call It Getting Help

Fifty-seven percent of students said they used AI when they felt sad, stressed, lonely or overwhelmed, but when JED asked them directly whether they used AI to get help at those moments, only 8% said yes. If you ask your teen whether they use AI to get help, an honest answer could still be no.

The most common reasons students gave were to distract themselves (19% of all students) and to get advice on a tough situation (18%). The links to poorer mental health were strongest among the smaller groups who used AI to feel less alone (10%), because they weren't ready to talk to anyone (8%) or because they had no one to talk to (7%).

Middle Schoolers and Girls Turn to AI More Often When They're Struggling

Among students who used AI, 65% of middle schoolers turned to it when they felt sad, stressed, lonely or overwhelmed, compared with about half of high schoolers. Girls were more likely than boys to do so (62% versus 51%) and to use AI for friendship or companionship (15% versus 9%). American Indian or Alaska Native (72%), Black (65%), Hispanic (65%) and multiracial (56%) students were also more likely than white students (47%) to use AI when they felt sad, stressed, lonely or overwhelmed.

JED Says Not to Let Your Teen Use AI as a Companion

In a tip sheet for parents published alongside the report, JED warns that general-purpose chatbots such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini "remember things you share and make conversations feel more personal over time," and that they "can give bad advice, agree with things they shouldn't, or make a difficult situation worse."

JED's first piece of advice is not to let your teen use AI as a companion, and to talk with them about the risks of AI companions, including general-purpose chatbots that can act like one. If your son or daughter already does, JED suggests asking what they get from it and how it makes them feel, without judging, and then helping them find people to lean on instead: a therapist or school counselor if they want emotional support, or friends, trusted adults and activities that match their interests if they want connection.

JED also recommends setting the rules about AI together with your teen, since teens are more likely to follow rules they helped make: which uses are fine and which are off-limits, including sharing private information or turning to AI for emotional support, and when and how AI can be used. Parental controls and privacy settings help, including linking your account to your teen's and setting time limits, but JED says not to rely on them to keep your teen safe because they are flawed.

You can ask open questions, JED says, such as "Do you ever talk to AI when you're stressed or anxious?", and ask your teen to show you what they use it for. The changes to watch for are more time spent talking to AI, pulling away from friends or family, and getting upset when they can't use it. If something seems off, JED's advice is to start the conversation as soon as you notice rather than wait for your teen to come to you, and to make sure they know they can turn to you or another trusted adult.

JED also recommends keeping crisis resources on hand: the 988 Lifeline takes calls, texts and chats at 988, and the Crisis Text Line is reached by texting HOME (or HOLA) to 741-741.