Overview
- The 2025 Deutschland-Barometer surveyed 5,196 adults and 103 teens, finding that about half of adults have researched depression online and 78% of those affected have done so.
- Among affected adolescents, roughly half used AI chatbots such as ChatGPT or Gemini as a health coach before seeing a doctor, with AI now ranking second after search engines for youth information sources.
- AI tools and social media were used by 17% of affected adults, and 40% of the public versus 47% of those with depression reported seeing related posts within the past week.
- Clinicians cite scarce therapy slots and long waits as drivers of the shift to digital supports, even as they urge timely, guideline‑based care.
- User experiences were mixed: most reported no change, about 13% noted benefits like reduced loneliness, about 15% felt worse or overwhelmed, and exposure to suicidal content was flagged as a major risk with prevalence estimates differing across reports.