Funding outcome

Many youth in Canada experience stress, anxiety, loneliness, depression, and other mental health concerns, yet many do not receive timely support. At the same time, artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as chatbots and generative AI platforms, are becoming widely available and may offer youth a private, immediate, and low-cost way to seek emotional or mental health support. However, these tools also raise important safety and ethical concerns, especially when youth use general-purpose AI platforms that were not designed or tested for mental health care. AI responses may be inaccurate, unhelpful, or unsafe, and little is known about how youth use these tools in everyday life, how they interpret AI-generated responses, or how AI affects their decisions to seek support from people or services. This project will explore how youth use AI for mental health support and how their experiences can guide the co-design of youth-driven resources that promote safe and responsible use. The study will take place in two connected phases. First, we will conduct interviews with youth who have used AI for mental health or emotional support to understand their lived experiences, including what they find helpful, harmful, trustworthy, private, accessible, or concerning. Second, we will work with youth as co-researchers to co-design practical resources that help young people use AI more safely and responsibly. By centring youth perspectives, this project will move beyond identifying concerns to developing practical solutions. The study will produce youth-driven guidance to help young people recognize when AI may be useful, when it may be risky, and when human or professional support is needed. These resources will also offer practical recommendations for families, educators, service providers, and policymakers so they can better support safe, informed, and ethical AI use in youth mental health.