Affective Generative Artificial Intelligence Use and Youth Mental Health
Cross-sectional study of 39,761 students in grades 4-12 across four Ontario school boards (Ontario Health and Peer Relations Study, May 2025 - March 2026) examining the association between affective generative AI use (emotional support or advice) and emotional problems. Finds affective use in about one in five students and a strong association with clinical-threshold emotional problems that persists after full adjustment, while functional (schoolwork) use shows only a small dose-response association. The authors conclude that seeking emotional support from generative AI is a distinct marker of psychological distress in children and adolescents.
Publisher
JAMA Pediatrics (American Medical Association)
Published
31 Aug 2026
Added
today
Key Findings
- 8,408 of 39,761 students (21.1%; mean age 12.8) reported using AI for affective purposes; girls, gender-diverse students, and Black, Indigenous, and other non-White students were more likely to be affective users
- Affective users were twice as likely to have clinical-threshold emotional problems (57.7% vs 29.2%; prevalence ratio 1.98, 95% CI 1.91-2.04)
- The association survived full adjustment including mattering and loneliness (B=0.14, 95% CI 0.13-0.15), while functional AI use showed only a modest dose-response association (B=0.01 to 0.04)
- Authors argue clinical frameworks and digital-literacy programs should distinguish functional AI assistance from use of AI as a 'digital refuge for emotional needs'
Methodology Notes
Cross-sectional survey; emotional problems assessed via the Ontario Child Health Study Emotional Behavioral Scales with a validated clinical threshold; covariates included mattering, loneliness, and demographics. Cross-sectional design cannot establish direction (distressed youth may seek out AI rather than AI causing distress). Published online 2026-08-31 (PMID 42671861); jamanetwork.com blocks automated fetchers, so verified via the full PubMed-deposited structured abstract plus Crossref. Accompanied by a JAMA Pediatrics editorial ('Do No Harm This Time — The Urgency of AI Chatbot Research', 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2026.3949, Christakis and Keren).
Authors
Kamilla Bonnesen, Amanda Krygsman, Sarah Hobson, Daphne Korczak, Tracy Vaillancourt
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Cite This
APA
Kamilla Bonnesen et al. (2026). Affective Generative Artificial Intelligence Use and Youth Mental Health. JAMA Pediatrics (American Medical Association). https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2026.3904
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