Is your patient chatting with AI? New tool guides psychiatrists on assessing patients’ AI use

(Toronto, September 30, 2026) As AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude become everyday tools, more people are turning to them not just for work or education, but for companionship, emotional support, and mental health advice. To help doctors navigate this rapidly changing landscape, researchers have introduced a practical guide called the AWARE framework, published by JMIR Publications in the journal JMIR Medical Education.

The new paper, titled “The AWARE (AI Use, Why, Attachment, Reality and Risk, and Effect on Functioning) Framework for Assessing Patients’ Use of AI in Mental Health Care,” provides clinicians with a simple set of questions to ask during routine appointments. Lead author Alexandre Hudon, BEng, MD, MSc(ed), PhD, and coauthors developed the framework to give mental health care providers a structured way to discuss patients’ AI habits, underlying motivations, and emotional connections to virtual companions.

Rather than acting as a rigid test, AWARE equips doctors to explore five key areas: how often a patient uses AI, why they use it, how emotionally attached they feel, potential risks to their perception of reality, and the overall effect on their daily life and relationships. As chatbots increasingly influence how individuals manage stress and make decisions, understanding these interactions becomes essential for accurate treatment planning and clinical risk assessment.

“AI is increasingly becoming part of patients’ everyday mental health landscape. Rather than assuming it is either helpful or harmful, clinicians need a structured, nonjudgmental way to understand why a patient is using it, what role it plays in their life, and whether it is affecting their relationships, functioning, or perception of reality. That is what AWARE is designed to support,” says Hudon.

The authors emphasize that incorporating AI assessments into medical training through simulations and clinical supervision will help doctors deliver safer, more personalized care. By fostering open conversations about AI, health care professionals can better support patient recovery in a digital world.

Original article: 

Hudon A, Bhat V, Nunez J, Paquin V, Malouin-Lachance A, Lespérance F. The AWARE (AI Use, Why, Attachment, Reality and Risk, and Effect on Functioning) Framework for Assessing Patients’ Use of AI in Mental Health Care. JMIR Med Educ 2026;12:e108766

URL: https://mededu.jmir.org/2026/1/e108766

DOI: 10.2196/108766

About JMIR Publications

JMIR Publications is a leading open access publisher of digital health research and a champion of open science. With a focus on author advocacy and research amplification, JMIR Publications partners with researchers to advance their careers and maximize the impact of their work. As a technology organization with publishing at its core, we provide innovative tools and resources that go beyond traditional publishing, supporting researchers at every step of the dissemination process. Our portfolio features a range of peer-reviewed journals, including the renowned Journal of Medical Internet Research.

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