We all have moments where we just need to talk to someone, but with the rise of AI, is a chatbot just as useful as an actual human? Research suggests more and more young people have turned to chatbots for mental health support in the last year. We asked Dr Patricia Britto, a child and adolescent psychologist for her expert take.

Dr Britto has commissioned a survey which explores how teenagers are using AI in this way. It showed that one in four teens in England and Wales has used a chatbot to help with their mental health problems. Dr Britto explained the reason why they're so popular saying: "young people find it easier to get an immediate response when facing ongoing issues."

However, Dr Britto says that professional help is much better than using an AI chatbot because there is "a risk of inaccurate or overly generalised guidance, particularly in high-risk or complex mental health, medical or relational situations. AI does not carry professional responsibility, nor does it exercise professional judgment linked to practice-based evidence and experience." She has created a top 5 list of the best support for teenagers, if you have mental health issues, which avoids the use of AI chatbots.

Dr Britto's top 5 pieces of advice:

1. Seek early support from trusted adults, friends or professionals such as teachers or your GP. To make this easier, young people could identify a key trusted person, a positive influence on your life, to talk to.

2. Explain how you're feeling emotionally to your trusted person, as this may help you understand and recognise your feelings.

3. Remember that because of the way that minds can work, your thoughts may not always reflect the reality of the situation. There are different techniques and treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy, which can help improve your mindset.

4. Ensure you are getting enough sleep, a healthy teenager should be getting around 9-10 hours of sleep per night. Exercise and a healthy diet can also help boost your mood.

5. Try different breathing strategies such as taking deep breaths then trying the 5-4-3-2-1 senses method, where you identify 5 things you see, 4 things you can feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste. This can help when feeling overwhelmed, and regulate and ground your body.

There's also some different hobbies you could try that can improve your mental health. Exercise can improve self confidence, and gaming is a popular pass time that can help social connections.

Dr Britto has further concerns about using AI for mental health advice, "although platforms often promise privacy, there is a clear need to put stronger safeguarding measures when using chatbots for data protection." A trained mental health professional can build real emotional connections, which is really important when you have issues like this, and they will keep anything regarding your condition, and personal information, private.

If you need support

You should always tell someone about the things you’re worried about. You can tell a friend, parent, guardian, teacher, or another trusted adult. If you're struggling with your mental health, going to your GP can be a good place to start to find help. Your GP can let you know what support is available to you, suggest different types of treatment and offer regular check-ups to see how you’re doing.

If you’re in need of in-the-moment support you can contact Childline, where you can speak to a counsellor. Their lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

There are more links to helpful organisations on the BBC Bitesize Action Line page for young people.