South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare has published guidelines on using generative AI for mental health, developed with the Korean Neuropsychiatric Association and announced on 8 October. They set out 3 core messages and 21 recommendations for the general public, plus 7 more for children and adolescents and 7 for guardians.
The advice centres on protecting personal information, checking what an AI says, not treating its answers as a diagnosis, avoiding over-dependence and keeping up human relationships.
A survey the ministry commissioned from the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, of 1,019 people aged 15 to 79 who had used generative AI in the previous month, found 68.8% had used it for emotional purposes. Among 15 to 18-year-olds, 51.7% described themselves as dependent on AI, and across the sample only 11.9% had checked AI mental health advice with a professional or an official source.
Why it matters: the guidelines are voluntary advice for users, not regulation, but they are official guidance aimed directly at people using chatbots for emotional support. The ministry plans education programmes and further guidance in 2027 for high-risk groups, including people with severe mental illness.
Sources: Ministry of Health and Welfare release via KDI Economic Information and Education Center; Healthcare IT News.