By Althea Johnson, University Communications and Marketing
Researchers at the University of South Florida and Florida Atlantic University have released findings from a statewide survey that measures mental health experiences and attitudes toward the use of artificial intelligence in health care. With May being Mental Health Awareness Month, the survey, sponsored by the Florida Center for Cybersecurity at USF, addresses how Floridians feel about a variety of topics including the use of AI-powered mental health tools.
Among the findings:
Anxiety and depression symptoms are widespread among Floridians. More than one-third of adults in Florida report some symptoms of anxiety, with nearly one in five reaching clinically significant levels. These rates align closely with national mental health trends.
- 19% met the threshold for moderate or severe anxiety on the GAD-7, a general anxiety disorder scale.
- 30% said a doctor has told them they may be suffering from an anxiety disorder at some point in their life.
As AI-powered mental health tools become more common and accessible, nearly a third of Floridians say that they would trust AI chatbots to provide accurate mental health information, but most would still prefer a human practitioner.
- 31% say that they trust AI tools to give accurate information about mental health.
- However, 83% would prefer receiving mental health care from a human practitioner, as opposed to AI.
- Only 21% agreed that they would feel emotionally supported by an AI-powered mental health platform.
Expanded access to online information and AI may be contributing to increased health anxiety among Floridians. Between 20% and 30% of respondents exhibited common symptoms associated with "cyberchondria".
- 33% of respondents say they sometimes feel the need to look up the same health-related symptoms online multiple times.
- 25% say that searching online for health information has made them feel more anxious or distressed.
- Even after reading online health information, 31% of Floridians say they've still felt uncertain and kept looking for more answers.
Floridians are cautiously optimistic -- but uncertain -- about AI's long-term impact on health care. While many believe AI has the potential to improve health outcomes, reduce medical errors and address systemic inequality, many remain unconvinced or unsure.
- 50% agreed that AI will improve patient outcomes.
- 46% believe AI could reduce medical mistakes.
- Only 42% agreed that AI would reduce inequalities in health care.
Floridians have mixed opinions about the use of AI in health care. While many Floridians see potential benefits from the use of AI in health care, they're more comfortable with AI being used for administrative tasks than clinical health care tasks.
- 83% are comfortable with AI being used to schedule appointments.
- 67% are comfortable with AI being used to collect symptom and intake information.
- Just over half (54%) are comfortable with AI helping doctors diagnose illnesses.
- But less than half say that they're comfortable with AI recommending treatments (48%) and administer medications (36%).
Nearly half of Floridians have tried AI health chatbots to discuss health issues, but privacy concerns hold most people back. AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini are gaining visibility, but regular use remains low - and widespread concern about privacy and data security may be limiting broader adoption.
- 42% have used an AI chatbot for health-related questions at least once; only 10% do so regularly.
- Among users, 37% found the support very or somewhat helpful.
- 75% of all respondents are concerned about privacy and data security when using AI tools.
The survey included a representative sample of 500 adult Floridians, fielded May 10-16, 2025. Results are reported with a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error +/- 4%.
The complete survey results can be found here.
