# OpenAI Partners With American Psychological Association on Youth Mental Health and AI > Source: > Published: 2026-08-11 09:06:30+00:00 **August 11, 2026**, (Inside AI) — OpenAI is collaborating with the **American Psychological Association** (APA) to develop evidence-based safeguards and resources for youth mental health in the age of AI. The partnership, announced today, aims to address how millions of teenagers already use AI tools for learning, advice, and emotional support, often without clear guidance for families or clinicians. The initiative will produce family-facing resources, clinician toolkits, and research grounded in psychological science. It marks one of the most direct engagements between a major AI developer and the nation's leading psychology organization on adolescent well-being. "Technology is part of teens' lives, and our responsibility is to meet that reality with experiences that are safe, age-appropriate, and designed with families in mind. AI should strengthen -- not replace -- the real-world relationships and care young people rely on," said **Dr. Sara Johansen**, head of mental health and well-being product policy at OpenAI. The effort builds on a convening earlier this year where the APA and OpenAI brought together mental health leaders, researchers, educators, and youth representatives. Discussions focused on gaps in youth support and where AI might responsibly help, such as providing information or connecting users to real-world resources. OpenAI says the work will span several areas: supporting young people in distress, designing developmentally appropriate AI, and equipping parents and clinicians to guide AI use. A key early deliverable is practical guidance for parents on navigating AI at home, including recognizing when adult intervention is needed and reinforcing AI as a tool, not a replacement for human care. For practitioners, the partnership plans resources for clinicians and school psychologists on promoting healthy AI use and identifying overreliance or unhealthy patterns. OpenAI also intends to continue convening cross-sector leaders to translate emerging lessons into field-wide guidance. The collaboration comes as AI chatbots become a de facto source of emotional support for many teens, raising urgent questions about safety, privacy, and the displacement of human relationships. A **2025 Pew Research Center** survey found that **42%** of U.S. teens aged 13–17 have used generative AI, with **18%** saying they use it to get advice on personal problems. Yet only **23%** of parents felt confident guiding their child's AI use. APA's involvement brings a rigorous scientific lens to an area often dominated by tech industry self-regulation. The organization represents over **146,000** psychologists and has long issued guidelines on technology use in childhood. Its evidence-grounded work will clarify what is known, what is uncertain, and what responsible AI should look like as the technology evolves. "This work builds on our ongoing efforts with experts. By working with the APA and other leading experts, we're continuing to ground our approach in evidence and develop practical safeguards that put teens' well-being first," Johansen added. ## From Crisis Response to Prevention OpenAI has already invested in safety features for younger users, including parental controls, under-18 principles in its Model Spec, and an age-prediction model to apply appropriate safeguards. The company works with more than **260** mental health experts to help ChatGPT recognize distress signs and guide users to crisis resources. But critics argue that such measures are reactive. The APA partnership signals a shift toward proactive, prevention-oriented design. By involving teens, families, and clinicians directly, the project aims to understand real-world usage patterns and system failures before they cause harm. "AI may help people find information and navigate systems earlier, but young people's well-being depends on strong human relationships and trustworthy support," Johansen said. The initiative also plans to make family guidance broadly accessible through school communities, potentially reaching millions of households. However, details on distribution and funding remain unclear. OpenAI has not disclosed the financial scope of the collaboration or whether APA will have independent oversight of product decisions. Still, the move aligns with growing calls for AI companies to partner with established health authorities. In **2024**, the **World Health Organization** urged tech firms to involve mental health professionals in AI design for youth. The APA's involvement could set a precedent for how AI developers engage with clinical science. As teens increasingly turn to AI for companionship and counsel, the stakes are high. A **2026 study in JAMA Pediatrics** found that adolescents who frequently used AI chatbots for emotional support reported higher loneliness scores, though causation was not established. The APA partnership may help disentangle such correlations and inform safer design. OpenAI and the APA plan to release initial resources and research findings in the coming months, with ongoing input from youth and practitioners.