Washington, D.C. — According to a new survey of members of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), while most psychiatrists do not use AI in their practice today, many of those who do are optimistic about the potential of AI in psychiatry. AI is most frequently used in practice to help with clinical notetaking (26%), followed by performing administrative tasks (16%). A majority (80%) of members are very or moderately concerned that mental health professionals don't have adequate training in AI.

More than 2,000 psychiatrists responded to the survey of active practicing APA members in the U.S. and Canada, between Jan. 10 and Feb. 1, 2026. The results were used by WNBC in a series of stories on mental health professionals’ views on AI use in their practices and by patients, which aired in early February.

Most APA members surveyed (65%) considered themselves “somewhat informed” about AI, 18% considered themselves “very informed,” and 17% considered themselves somewhat or very “uninformed.”

“One thing is certain: this technology is moving fast, and it could offer great benefits,” said APA President Theresa Miskimen Rivera, M.D. “While there is great potential in the use of AI, human connections are and will always be a central part of providing psychiatric care.”

Risks and Benefits

Psychiatrists were split on their expectations for the potential benefits and risks of AI-assisted therapy and treatment, with 40% saying it was riskier than traditional strategies, 38% saying it would make mental health professionals more effective, and 23% uncertain.

When asked about the potential usefulness of AI for treating specific disorders, a majority of members said AI would be useful for treating depression (54%), anxiety (59%) and addiction (51%); and they were evenly split on PTSD treatment. For eating disorders, the majority (59%) said AI would not be useful.

When members were asked to predict the impact of AI on mental health in society at large, 50% said it would decrease mental health, 26% said it would have little impact, and 24% predicted it would increase mental health.

Policies and Potential Regulation

APA member psychiatrists strongly support a variety of regulations on AI use in mental health. For example, more than three-fourths of respondents supported:

• Creating evidence-based standards for AI mental health apps (86%)
• Strengthening data privacy for AI mental health apps (83%)
• Establishing age restrictions for the use of AI chatbots (78%)
• Requiring FDA clearance for AI mental health/therapy apps (77%)

“As fast as AI is moving, APA members have shown that they are adopting this new technology carefully and keeping themselves informed,” said APA CEO and Medical Director Marketa M. Wills, M.D., M.B.A. “APA is actively developing the guidance and resources our members need to navigate this new landscape so that they can continue to lead the way in advancing quality mental health care.”

See more on the member poll results and more on Artificial Intelligence in Psychiatric Care.

American Psychiatric Association

The American Psychiatric Association, founded in 1844, is the oldest medical association in the country. The APA is also the largest psychiatric association in the world with more than 40,400 physician members specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and research of mental illnesses. APA’s vision is to ensure access to quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. For more information, please visit www.psychiatry.org.