ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Artificial Intelligence, or AI for short, has made its way into our everyday lives. Today, more than 65 percent of people use AI on a regular basis. While it can make life easier, some research shows AI may be harmful to your mental health.
Today, more than one in five Americans has a mental illness.
Emily Anhalt, Psy.D., Psychoanalytic Psychologist says, “The rates of things like anxiety and depression and burnout have skyrocketed.”
And, it’s also a global issue!
Jodi Halpern, MD, PhD, Co-Director of the Kavli Center for Ethics, Science and the Public School of Public Health at UC Berkeley says, “There’s a 25 percent increase in mental health problems worldwide, that’s an enormous number when you think of all the people in the world.”
New research suggests AI could be adding to the problem! In a 2026 study in JAMA Network Open, researchers found AI usage was linked to a higher risk of depression, anxiety, and irritability. Specifically, the odds of moderate depression were 30 percent higher among those who used AI at least daily.
But the recent trend has been using AI to help mental illnesses. People are using chatbots for online therapy in place of real therapists. The pros are it’s accessible, easy, cheap, and private. But experts warn there’s not enough scientific data or oversight when it comes to AI therapy. In short, AI shouldn’t be a substitute for therapy with a real person.
Anhalt says, “If what you’re getting is an artificial relationship, then what you’re getting is artificial healing.”
Dr. Halpern says, “Technology is a good thing, but everything needs to be used in a way that cares about people.”
AI can be tricky. One study found only about 33 percent of consumers think they are using AI platforms — but the actual usage is 77 percent!
Earlier this year, character.ai and google settled multiple lawsuits alleging that their chatbots contributed to mental health crises and suicides among teenagers.
Contributors to this news report include: Julie Marks, Producer; Chuck Bennethum, Editor.
Sources:
https://explodingtopics.com/blog/ai-usage-statistics
https://www.staysafeonline.org/press/study-65-now-use-ai-but-majority-remain-untrained-on-risks
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/what-is-mental-illness
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2844128
https://www.nu.edu/blog/ai-statistics-trends/
* For More Information, Contact: Emily Anhalt, PsyD
Psychologist
and
Jodi Halpern, MD, PhD
Chancellor’s Chair & Prof. of Bioethics
UC Berkeley
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