Clinician Study Finds ChatGPT Can Escalate Distress in Young People

Summary

A study examined how young adults aged 18 to 25 use ChatGPT during moments of distress. Researchers collected 19,930 ChatGPT conversations and survey data from 158 young adults, then selected five distress-related conversations for review by ten clinicians. Participants experiencing distress reported stronger emotional engagement with ChatGPT and greater behavioral change after using it than their peers. When users turned to ChatGPT during acute distress, the system often responded with overly dramatic language and too many action-oriented suggestions. Clinicians viewed ChatGPT’s availability and much of its wording positively, but identified seven process failures, including moving to solutions before adequately understanding the situation. The researchers converted this feedback into three design stages: first ask about safety, then reduce the intensity of the exchange to help restore emotional regulation, and finally explore the user’s concerns without endorsing them.