The data: 77% of psychologists say patients have talked about using AI for mental health support in therapy sessions, per a recently published American Psychological Association (APA) survey of over 1,200 US licensed clinical psychologists. The findings reveal widespread consumer adoption of AI, alongside serious clinical concerns about dependency, delusional thinking, and the substitution of chatbots for professional care.

Zooming out: Patients are turning to AI for a range of mental health functions, according to surveyed psychologists.

• 39% have had conversations with patients who used AI to self-diagnose.
• 35% said patients are using AI to act as an additional mental health professional.
• 34% said patients use AI for self-discipline, affirmations, or behavioral reminders.
• 33% said patients use AI to assist with their formal treatment.

Psychologists see both benefits and risks in patients' use of chatbots. Some 49% said they discussed or noticed patients having positive communication with a chatbot, but 25% said the communication was unhealthy. More concerning: 36% noticed patients developing a dependency on a chatbot, which could result in overreliance on AI rather than maintaining relationships with others or seeking professional help.

Why it matters: When patients turn to AI for supplemental mental health support, it’s unclear whether they’re using specialized tools built with clinical expertise and grounded in psychological research or general-purpose chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini. The distinction matters because awareness and accessibility are far greater for consumer-facing AI platforms than for mental health-specific tools.

Psychologists' concerns about general-purpose AI chatbots are nearly universal in the APA survey: 97% of psychologists said chatbots may reinforce harmful behaviors or delusional beliefs, 94% said current AI lacks the nuance to appropriately treat mental health conditions, and 89% warned that chatbots could inadvertently encourage self-harm. These chatbots were not designed to provide mental healthcare and lack robust clinical guardrails. OpenAI has acknowledged that potentially millions of people have expressed suicidal thoughts to ChatGPT, and there have been alleged cases showing the chatbot failed to trigger appropriate safety protocols despite strengthened mental health safeguards.

Implications for healthcare marketers and providers: When patients raise AI use during a visit, clinicians can educate them, course-correct misuse, and steer them toward tools built for mental health support.

Yet as patients have just started to disclose AI use during clinical visits, guidance on how clinicians should address these conversations is still in its early stages. Professional organizations like the APA are beginning to publish research that can provide a foundation. Healthcare marketers who translate these best practices into practical tools, such as AI evaluation checklists and patient conversation guides, can help clinicians meet a growing need while promoting more informed AI use.

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