Use and Perceptions of AI Chatbots for Mental Health Support Among Adults with Lived Experience
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Importance
AI chatbots are increasingly used for mental health support, but little is known about how adults with lived experience of mental health condition use and perceive these tools.
Objective
To characterize the use and perception of AI chatbots, including for mental health purposes, among adults connected to a large US mental health organization,
Design
Cross-sectional online survey conducted from March to May 2026.
Setting
Adults recruited through email newsletters from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the largest grassroots mental health organization in the US.
Participants
Adults aged 18 years older with English proficiency. Affiliation with NAMI or a diagnosis of mental health disorder was not required.
Results
Of 454 participants, 316 (69.6%) reported having used an AI chatbot. Use was more common among younger participants and those with a current mental health diagnosis. Among AI users, 133 (42.1%) reported using a chatbot for mental health purposes. Mental health-related use was typically brief and focused on information gathering and in-the-moment emotion regulation. Most users rated chatbots as helpful for their mental health. Among the 95 participants with a mental health provider, only 14 (14.7%) had openly discussed their AI use with their provider. Higher frequency of AI use was associated with greater odds of disclosure (OR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.20-2.38; P = .003).
Conclusion and Relevance
In this survey of adults connected to a large mental health organization, AI chatbots were widely used but engagement for mental health purposes was typically brief and focused. Most use occurred without clinician awareness, suggesting a need for proactive conversations about AI use in routine mental health care.
Key Points
Question
How do adults with lived experience of mental health condition use and perceive AI chatbots for mental health purposes?
Findings
In this cross-sectional survey of 454 adults, 133 reported using one for mental health purpose. Use was more common among participants with a current diagnosis. Most use was brief and focused. Only 14.7% of those with a mental health provider had openly discussed their AI use.
Meaning
Among adults with lived experience, AI chatbots may function as an accessible tool for information and immediate coping rather than a replacement of therapy, but this use is largely undisclosed to clinicians.
