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The report comes amid growing national concern over the use of unregulated AI companion bots for mental health support, as noted in a recent report by Common Sense Media. As students increasingly engage with AI-powered tools for social engagement and mental health support, Alongside’s data highlights both the urgency and the opportunity for schools to respond with safe, evidence-based solutions.
Key findings from the report include:
1. Balancing Act: Across all ages, genders, and locales, balancing activities and schoolwork was the most common issue for students – and they think the adults in their life don’t get it.
2. We Really Have a Sleep Problem: Sleep is one of teens’ top struggles – of the 250,000+ activities and chat sessions teens voluntarily engaged in on Alongside, 23% were related to challenges with sleep.
3. Relationships & Loneliness - It’s Complicated: Students talk about relationships a lot, but only 6% of chats mention loneliness explicitly. At the same time, about 50% of relationship-related chats suggest feelings of loneliness or exclusion, pointing to a broader, more nuanced picture of what loneliness really looks like.
4. Stigma on the Decline: Teens today associate “mental health” with the idea of taking care of yourself so you can cope with everyday challenges, rather than focusing on mental illness – a signal that the stigma around mental health is decreasing with this generation.
5. Confidentiality is a Preferred Starting Point: For many students, opening up to an adult feels uncomfortable, which is why a confidential, AI-assisted tool designed by clinicians holds strong appeal.
HOWEVER…
6. Connecting to a Trusted Adult is Often the Next Step: Despite the preference for an anonymous and confidential space to first explore their challenges, more than 40% of students using Alongside voluntarily choose to share a summary of their chat sessions with their school counselors. This number is up 4% from the previous school year.
“I go on Alongside to get help with situations or problems I have with friends,” says Texas high school student Katelyn Schultz. “It’s a venting space to get everything out without stress or worry.”
Texas Middle School Principal Anabel Ibarra describes Alongside as a game changer. “It provides that Tier 1 support for students to talk to the llama, as we say, so that they can express what situations they’re going through, topics that they want to cover, that typically would end up affecting their mental health,” Ibarra says. “It’s that first level of support.”
Alongside is the only evidence-based tool of its kind developed exclusively for use in K-12 school systems. “When used responsibly in partnership with schools, AI can provide meaningful support for students’ everyday challenges while keeping students connected to a safety net when more severe needs arise,” says Dr. Elsa Friis, a licensed psychologist, researcher, and behavioral health advocate and Head of Product & Clinical at Alongside.
The Pulling Back the Curtain on Youth Mental Health report also includes previous outcome data from research conducted by Northwestern University, underscoring Alongside’s effectiveness across multiple levels of need:
General Student Population (Tier 1):
- 92% of students said Alongside’s AI guide, Kiwi, helped them handle a daily stressor
- 86% of students reported feeling more prepared to handle emotional challenges
Students with Clinical Mental Health Concerns (Tier 2):
- 25% of students with clinically significant anxiety no longer met diagnostic criteria after use
- Symptoms of hopelessness significantly decreased from baseline to 3 months
Students Facing Severe Issues (e.g., Suicidal Ideation, Self-Harm - Tier 3):
- 76% of high-risk students reported no suicidal ideation after 3 months of using Alongside
- 2% of students were identified and connected to school staff for support
As headlines continue to raise red flags about commercially available AI tools for teens, this report reinforces what schools can do differently: offer a clinically grounded, school-connected, and student-centered solution that meets young people where they are — without compromising safety or accountability.
For more insights, the Pulling Back the Curtain on Youth Mental Health report is available online.
About Alongside: Alongside is a web-based mental health platform that provides tier 1 mental health prevention and early intervention support to middle and high school students. Alongside is self-directed and available 24/7 in 36 languages, allowing students to get the help they need when they need it. Students can learn over 125 clinical strategies that are foundational for building mental health resilience across social, emotional, and behavioral domains. In addition, students receive immediate support through engaging with Alongside’s chatbot and in-app resources, created by a team of doctoral mental health experts and directly informed by evidenced-based clinical models. The founders of Alongside previously founded Actively Learn, a K-12 digital curriculum company which was acquired by McGraw Hill in 2021. Learn more by visiting www.alongside.care.
Margot Toppen
Alongside
+1 312-371-7318
email us here
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