Survey Finds 39% of Psychologists Report Patients Using AI to Self-Diagnose, One-Third for Treatment Help

An American Psychological Association survey released June 16 found that 39% of psychologists have spoken with patients who used AI to self-diagnose. One-third of respondents said patients rely on AI for self-discipline, affirmations or behavioral reminders, and 33% said patients use the technology to assist with treatment.

AI tools can automate scheduling, send appointment reminders, streamline communication and summarize health records, the association noted.

California-based psychologist Dr. Zachary Ginder said many people choose AI because it is low-friction, instantly available from a personal device, seemingly private and offered at little or no cost. Ginder advised against using general large-language models such as ChatGPT or Claude for specific clinical treatment questions or counseling via chatbot.

He added that some direct-to-consumer chatbots advertised as mental-health or well-being apps are not clinically validated. Cato Institute Research Fellow Adam Omary said AI is cheap, knowledgeable, personalized and engaging, and that it saw faster adoption than any other technology in human history.

He noted that AI can incorporate the best available psychology research, be tailored to a user’s preferences and maintain superhuman familiarity with topics or cultural contexts.

Omary also warned that AI may be biased by its training data and that even much of psychology research has proven unreplicable. He said in-person therapy is not going anywhere and that AI’s low cost and wide accessibility could make it additive to existing care even if its quality is lower.

Some AI chatbots exhibit heightened stigma toward conditions such as alcohol dependence and schizophrenia compared with depression, according to Stanford University’s Institute for Human-Centered AI.