Sources
Our pages link the sources behind their facts. This page explains how we cite and lists the sources we rely on most. It is a short index, not every link on the site.
How we cite
- A claim that comes from a study, a report, a court filing, a regulator or a company is linked in the sentence or right after it.
- Where a claim is about a person, a lawsuit or a study, we link to the original document (the complaint, the paper, the regulator’s page) where one is public, and not only to news coverage.
- Where evidence is thin, mixed or contested, the page says so.
- Links to sources are ordinary links. Affiliate links are for services we mention, and are never used as sources. See editorial standards.
- A “Reviewed” date on a page means we re-opened its sources and re-checked the facts on that page. It does not mean the source will stay current. We check sources again when we review a page.
This index was compiled from links already used on the site’s pages in October 2026. Titles are short descriptions. Please tell us if a link no longer works.
Found a problem with a source?
A link no longer works, a source does not say what we say it does, or a number is wrong: write to info@theaiaddictioncenter.com or see corrections.
Crisis and help resources
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988 (US).
- Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741 (US).
- SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357, free and confidential, 24 hours.
- FindTreatment.gov: SAMHSA’s treatment locator.
- Find a Helpline: crisis lines outside the US.
- APA Psychologist Locator and Psychology Today therapist directory: ways to find a provider. We do not endorse any provider.
- HHS: HIPAA for individuals: what HIPAA covers.
Research and clinical bodies
- American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: AI chatbots, Facts for Families.
- American Psychiatric Association: Internet gaming disorder (a condition for further study).
- World Health Organization: ICD-11 gaming disorder, frequently asked questions.
- World Health Organization: guidelines on mental health at work.
- American Psychological Association: press release on AI wellness apps and mental health, November 2025 and health advisory on AI and adolescent well-being.
- American Academy of Pediatrics: counseling patients and families on using AI chatbots and HealthyChildren.org, Are AI chatbots safe for kids?.
- National Institute of Mental Health: Understanding psychosis.
- MIT Media Lab and OpenAI: research collaboration on affective use and emotional well-being in ChatGPT.
- Pew Research Center: Teens, social media and AI chatbots, 2025.
- Common Sense Media: Talk, Trust and Trade-Offs: how and why teens use AI companions.
- Harvard Business School, Working Knowledge: How AI chatbots try to keep you from walking away.
- Microsoft Research: The impact of generative AI on critical thinking, a survey of knowledge workers.
- Stanford HAI: Exploring the dangers of AI in mental health care.
- Aarhus University: New research: AI chatbots may worsen mental illness.
Regulators, law and enforcement
- US Federal Trade Commission: inquiry into AI chatbots acting as companions, September 2025.
- US Federal Trade Commission: order against BetterHelp over sharing of sensitive mental health data, 2023.
- State of California: SB 243 bill text and the Governor’s announcement of the signed bills, October 2025.
- European Data Protection Board: the Italian authority fines the company behind the Replika chatbot.
Platform policies and announcements
- Character.AI: announcement on under-18 chat, 29 October 2025.
- OpenAI: strengthening ChatGPT responses in sensitive conversations and parental controls.
- Anthropic: protecting the well-being of users.
- Replika: terms of service.
News reporting and long-form journalism
- MIT Technology Review: We need to prepare for “addictive intelligence”, AI companions are the final stage of digital addiction and AI companies have stopped warning you that their chatbots aren’t doctors.
- Nature: Supportive? Addictive? Abusive? How AI companions affect our mental health.
- University of British Columbia News: Are you addicted to your AI chatbot? It might be by design.
- Harvard Gazette: chatbot attachment issues, September 2026.