Canadians' use of AI for mental, physical health revealed
· Toronto Sun
When it comes to how Canadians use AI, a new study by Compare the Market health insurance experts says we’re still hesitant when it comes to treating mental and physical health that way.
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The research says almost 6-in-10 of Canadians don’t turn to AI for mental health support, with 57% saying they never use AI chatbots for help in this area.
The poll says 23% of Canadians use AI chatbots monthly or every few months, 14% use them weekly, and 6% use AI for mental health support every day.
This daily use is more common among younger adults, with 13% of 25–34-year-olds reporting using AI chatbots every day to support their mental wellbeing.
Fifty-seven per cent of respondents turn to AI tools for help with their anxiety, 52% for stress, 40% for depression, 26% for lifting their general mood, and 24% for relationship issues.
Women are especially likely to seek support for anxiety, with 63% of females using chatbots for this reason compared to 52% of males.
The survey says younger Canadians are more likely to use AI for this same reason, with 66% of 18–24-year-olds using AI chatbots for help with anxiety, the highest of any age group.
The poll says only 5% of Canadians use AI chatbots for medical advice daily and 49% never use it for this purpose, while 15% use it weekly and 31% monthly or every few months.
Along age divisions, 81% of those aged over 75 never use it, compared to only 33% of those aged both 18-24 and 25-34.
The most common topics that AI tools are used for are cold and flu symptoms (37%), to decide if a doctor should be seen (32%) and for nutritional advice (31%).
These top three reasons are closely followed by medical advice and general fitness/physical activity advice, at 29%.
Most Canadians use AI for mental and medical support because it is more convenient and immediate than seeing a real doctor (49%), it is more accessible (41%), and it’s affordable (37%).
Men more likely than women to say AI had a positive impact on their health
Of those surveyed, the majority agreed that AI support had positively impacted their health, with men more likely to agree than women (58% to 47%).
A significant proportion (42%), however, noted that AI had no impact on their mental or physical health, while a minority (6%) said it worsened their health and 39% found AI therapy to be equally helpful to visiting human professionals.
In comparison, 17% found AI therapy to be more helpful, 20% found it less helpful and around a quarter (24%) were unsure of its impact.
Executive General Manager of Health, Steven Spicer in a statement: “People are increasingly turning to AI for health advice, and while these tools can deliver support quickly and at a lower cost, they should be used to complement, not replace, qualified practitioners.”
This survey was conducted by PureProfile in February 2026 with 1,005 respondents across Canada.