Why Teens Are Turning to AI for Mental Health | Caroline Figueroa

About this episode

This episode discusses how teens are using AI chatbots for mental health support and the factors influencing this trend.

Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of youth mental health challenges, including suicide and self-harm. Listener discretion is advised. Health Affairs Publishing ’s Kathleen Haddad welcomes Caroline Figueroa of Stanford University to the pod to discuss how teens are using AI chatbots for mental health support and the factors driving that use, including access and stigma. It also discusses emerging concerns and potential approaches to improving safety, design, and oversight of these tools. Join us on June 23 for an exclusive Insider virtual event examining how antitrust policy in health care is evolving at both the federal and state levels, featuring insights from Katherine Gudiksen , Leemore Dafny , and Nathan Hostert . Also, learn more about the upcoming AcademyHealth 2026 Annual Research Meeting from May 30 to June 2 featuring Caroline Figueroa as part of the panel, A Responsible Approach to AI Innovation to Support the Mental Health of Young People . Related Links: Responsible AI for Youth Mental Health ( Hopelab ) Talk, Trust, and Trade-Offs: How and Why Teens Use AI Companions ( common sense media ) One in Eight Adolescents and Young Adults Use AI Chatbots for…

People in this episode

Host: Kathleen Haddad

Guest: Caroline Figueroa

Topics covered

• youth mental health
• AI chatbots
• access to mental health support
• stigma
• safety and oversight
• emerging concerns

Keywords

• AI for mental health
• teen mental health
• chatbots
• youth challenges
• suicide
• self-harm
• mental health support
• stigma
• safety
• oversight

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Stanford University, Health Affairs, Hopelab, common sense media, RAND

More episodes of Health Affairs This Week

• Medicaid Work Requirements: Who’s Affected and What’s at Stake · June 12, 2026 · 20 min
• Will the Rural Health Transformation Fund Deliver? · June 5, 2026 · 17 min
• Inside CVS Caremark: The Role of PBMs in Drug Costs & Access | SPONSORED · June 3, 2026 · 25 min
• Will the Medicare ACCESS Model Spark the Next Health Tech Gold Rush? · May 29, 2026 · 16 min
• Policy Changes Reshaping Family Caregiving · May 27, 2026 · 23 min
• How the Healthcare Workforce Is Responding to New Aging Policies | Age-Friendly Health Series · May 20, 2026 · 30 min