Turning to AI for health answers may signal anxiety, depression in young adults
A University of Florida study involving nearly 100,000 young adults found a significant association between using generative AI for health questions and screening positive for anxiety and depression. The research indicates that users of AI tools like ChatGPT had 52% greater odds of anxiety and 46% greater odds of depression compared to non-users, though causality was not established. Researchers suggest that the conversational nature of AI may reinforce health anxiety through repeated cycles of questioning and reassurance seeking.
- ▪The study analyzed data from nearly 100,000 young adults to examine the relationship between generative AI use and mental health.
- ▪Participants who used AI for health questions had 52% greater odds of screening positive for anxiety and 46% greater odds for depression.
- ▪About 52% of AI users screened positive for anxiety, compared to 43% of non-users, while 47% of users screened positive for depression versus 38% of non-users.
- ▪The association remained significant after controlling for age, race, ethnicity, biological sex, and socioeconomic status.
- ▪Researchers noted that the conversational format of AI may encourage repeated questioning, potentially reinforcing rumination and health anxiety.
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| Original publisher | Ufl |
| Canonical URL | https://news.ufl.edu/2026/09/ai-health/ |
| Publication time | Fri, 02 Oct 2026 09:43:42 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-10-02T09:55:44.070Z |
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Turning to AI for health answers may signal anxiety, depression among young adults Karen Dooley September 25, 2026 Share A UF-led study of nearly 100,000 young adults found an association between using generative AI for health-related questions and screening positive for clinically significant anxiety and depression. Young adults who used AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude for health questions had 52% greater odds of screening positive for anxiety and 46% greater odds for depression. The findings do not show that AI use causes anxiety or depression but point to the need for more research into how young people use AI to understand health symptoms and concerns.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Ufl.
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