High School Seniors Turn to AI for Support

As concerns about college student mental health continue to grow, new data shows that the next generation of students may arrive on campus with different expectations for where—and how—they receive support.

A new survey commissioned by Uwill, a digital mental health and wellness platform designed for college students, offers a glimpse into the mental health and help-seeking behaviors of students approaching college. College Pulse conducted the survey in June among a nationally representative sample of 1,020 rising high school and college seniors enrolled at four-year institutions nationwide.

High school seniors were more than twice as likely as college seniors to turn to artificial intelligence at least weekly to discuss relationships or emotional issues, 26 percent compared with 12 percent. The survey also found just 41 percent of high school seniors rated their mental health as “very good” or “good.”

Among high school seniors who use AI for such conversations, 21 percent said they turn to the technology because they “don’t have anyone else to talk to,” compared with 7 percent of college seniors who responded that way. Some 11 percent of high school seniors said AI is more supportive than their friends, compared with 2 percent of college seniors.

Michael London, founder and chief executive officer of Uwill, said colleges will have to grapple with incoming students increasingly turning to AI for emotional support, particularly when they see the technology as a substitute for people they can trust.

“If a person says, ‘I have nobody else I can talk to,’ they’re essentially saying there’s nobody else I can trust. If that’s true, and they want to just use AI for that, it’s really troubling,” London said.

“I can’t stop [students] from plugging something into ChatGPT. I think that’s just the reality,” he added. “But we also don’t want young, impressionable people making their decisions based upon the way they phrase questions into AI, and then think[ing] they have a loyal friend.”

Mounting pressures: About one in four high school seniors, 28 percent, said their mental health had declined over the past three years, compared with one in five college seniors.

Respondents also shared a sense of uncertainty about the future. Just 19 percent of all respondents said they felt very or extremely prepared for their next step, while 46 percent of college seniors identified career or job uncertainty as a top stressor. That concern was more prevalent among undergraduate men, 55 percent of whom identified career or job uncertainty as a top stressor, compared with 39 percent of undergraduate women.

Financial pressures weighed more heavily on college seniors than their high school counterparts. Nearly four in 10 reported working more than 21 hours per week, and the same share identified financial concerns as a top stressor. Among first-generation college seniors, that figure rose to 47 percent.

London said the findings point to different but overlapping pressures facing students at both stages of their education.

“Colleges are inheriting a group of people that are going to need more emotional wellness support,” London said. “[But the survey] didn’t say that a current college senior is less stressed than a high school senior.”

Colleges have also taken on a broader role in supporting students’ well-being than most high schools, London said, particularly because many college students both study and live on campus.

Higher ed institutions have been building student supports for years, he added, and have experience “using third parties to complement the good work that they’re doing” to help keep students safe.

Responding in real time: London said colleges should focus on making mental health support readily available to students of all ages, including those who may be unsure whether they need professional help.

“It’s just not that easy for the average person to find a therapist and talk to somebody,” London said. “I’d also argue that even those people who may not need therapy long term, they still should maybe talk to somebody if they’re in that ‘should I or shouldn’t I’ position.”

Providing that immediacy, London said, can also help students recognize the difference between searching online for an answer and talking through a concern with a mental health professional.

“For colleges to be able to give a level of immediacy, that is going to be the best thing that they can do,” he said. “It’ll help students to know that it’s not a search. That’s not what this is all about. It’ll help them understand that there are nuances in the questions and in the guidance that the licensed therapists are able to give on campus.”

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