NOTE: Some names and identifying details have been changed to protect privacy
Young adults in the UAE and the wider region are turning to AI for a space to reflect, regulate and make sense of their feelings.
Health professionals say emotional and psychological conversations are becoming part of how young people engage with these tools.
Antony Bainbridge, head of clinical services and clinical lead at Resicare Alliance, says young people are not using AI in a uniform way. Some turn to chatbots to vent, others to learn coping strategies or understand what they are experiencing before deciding whether to seek professional help.
“It is often exploratory,” Dr Bainbridge says. “For many, it is a first step rather than a final destination.”
When therapy is not available
“You can’t call your therapist at 11pm, but you can open a chatbot,” says Rawya, who is in her 20s and has used therapy to help her manage ADHD, anxiety and panic attacks.
She turns to AI at times when professional support is unavailable, using the chatbot as a continuation of the work she has already done in therapy.
“I know my issues and what my therapists have told me, so I give it specific instructions. I ask it to explain my reactions clearly,” she explains.
Rawya has had six years of therapy. After graduating from university and moving back to her home country, she lost the insurance coverage that had allowed her to regularly access therapy.
Those years taught her that even effective therapy has limits. Sessions end once the 50-minute slot is up. Access depends on waiting lists, availability and timing.
“I know when things get worse,” she says. “Therapists can’t always be there at that moment, so AI helps me manage in between.”
Clinicians say experiences like Rawya's are becoming more common among young adults.
Reflection and control
For others, AI is less about filling gaps in access and more about regaining a sense of control.
Ahmed, also in his 20s, began using AI during a difficult period while studying in the UK. Diagnosed with ADHD and experiencing episodes of depression, the available mental health support felt inconsistent.
The professionals he initially turned to lacked an understanding of his cultural background and context, he says.
“That is when I started relying on ChatGPT,” he explains.
What began as a tool for university work gradually became a space to organise his thoughts.
“If I was angry or confused, I asked the chatbot what the correct action was … It helped me process my emotions.”
After returning to the UAE, he began therapy at a specialised clinic and says the care feels more structured. He continues to use AI between sessions.
“Therapy is one hour a week,” he says. “The rest of the week you still have emotions, problems and conflicts.”
He says the relative neutrality of AI is part of its appeal.
“People have biases. My therapist has biases,” he says. “With a chatbot, I can ask for a balanced answer. If it feels off, I challenge it.”
But he is also clear about the risks. When emotions run high, he says the tool can reflect his mood rather than grounding it.
Dr Bainbridge says knowing the distinction between a logical response to a problem and an impulsive reaction matters.
“The concern is not occasional use,” he says. “It is when a young person begins to treat AI as sufficient support and delays professional care.”
Private space to think
For Farida, also in her 20s, the appeal of AI is privacy.
“I did not know who I could talk to, and I did not want to burden anyone,” she says. “Sometimes I feel things very strongly, but I do not have someone I can go to immediately.”
She values being able to speak without having to filter her words. “With people, you always think about how they will react,” she says. “Here, I can say everything.”
Farida repeatedly asks the chatbot to be direct. “I tell it not to take my side,” she says. “I want it to explain things logically.”
She says the process helps her settle. “When I read the response, everything feels clearer. It feels like I released a weight.”
She has never been to therapy and does not see AI as a replacement for human support. For now, she says, it is a private space to understand her emotions before deciding whether to share them with someone else.
What AI can offer, and where it falls short
Experts say these patterns reflect gaps in mental health access and changing expectations around support. AI tools offer immediacy, privacy and low barriers to entry, but their limits are clear.
Tina Mistry, a UK-trained clinical psychologist, says the appeal is easy to understand.
“AI is interactive, available at any time and does not require an appointment,” Dr Mistry says. “For many young people, it becomes the first place they turn, especially when stigma or cost makes therapy feel out of reach.”
Studies find that chatbots can deliver basic mental health information, grounding techniques and simple cognitive strategies that help some users calm themselves or organise their thoughts in the short term, particularly when the content is evidence-based.
However, Dr Mistry stresses that this support is limited. “Emotional regulation with another human involves more than words,” she says. “There is tone, body language and shared presence. That kind of co-regulation cannot happen through a screen.”
Dr Bainbridge says inconsistency remains an important risk. “Without clear escalation pathways or human oversight, AI may validate a feeling without challenging it or directing the user to real help,” he says.
Both experts emphasise that AI’s role is not fixed. Used alongside therapy, or as a temporary space to reflect, it can help some young people articulate feelings and decide what to do next. Used in isolation, it can blur the line between support and avoidance.
“The technology itself is not the problem,” Dr Mistry says. “The problem is when it becomes the only place someone feels heard.”
Nour Ibrahim is a 2025-26 Rosalynn Carter Mental Health Journalism Fellow
