The AXA Mind Health Report 2026 has revealed that while two out of three respondents consider that screens have a negative impact on their mental health, more than 6 in 10 people declared they already use AI for mental health questions and 42% of them almost always follow the advice AI gives them.
The 25-page 2026 report published in June 2026 is based on extensive survey by AXA and Ipsos in 18 countries, including six in Asia. The survey revealed that 46% of the respondents said mental health continues to decline and they are struggling or languishing.
The survey also found that two out of three respondents consider that screens have a negative impact on their mental health, even though they spend over 5 hours per day on average on screens (excluding working hours and excluding weekends).
Yet technology can also play a positive role, the survey revealed that more than six in 10 people declare they already use AI for mental health questions and 42% of them almost always follow the advice it gives them.
The report found that mental health worldwide continues to deteriorate and in 10 of the 16 countries included in the study, mental health scores are at their lowest since the first survey wave in 2021. The survey findings confirm a structural trend, driven by an accumulation of stress factors that are durably undermining psychological well-being.
According to WHO, in 2025 mental health disorders remain very widespread and affect over a billion people around the world. In this context of widespread vulnerability, digital habits, whether time spent in front of screens or the increasing use of AI, are becoming essential to understanding and improving how individuals are supported.
Around 43% of the participating people identified as potentially being in a situation of “mental suffering” but did not see any health professional during the year to talk about it. Barriers to consulting a professional persist and remain numerous. The foremost inhibition was found to be the feeling of not needing medical support, before cost of therapy or lack of time.
This avoidance of medical care is opening the way to new forms of help-seeking, with individuals turning more towards solutions perceived as more accessible, immediate and that they perceive as less stigmatising.
AI holds a special place in respondents’ daily lives, 61% say they already use AI for mental health matters, a practice that is particularly widespread in China, the Philippines and Turkiye. AI thus appears as a new player in the mental health landscape, removing multiple barriers: it is free, offers rapid responses and is available 24/7, but generates mixed experiences regarding the perceived quality of its advice.
AXA European Markets and Health CEO Patrick Cohen said, “Breaking the taboo surrounding mental health requires us to move beyond treating it as an individual concern and recognise it as the collective challenge it has become - affecting us all in unprecedented ways, driven by the context and changes reshaping our lives today. As an insurer on the frontline, we believe every responsible employer must focus on overcoming a fundamental barrier: access to first consultation. We are witnessing an increasing role for artificial intelligence in early support. However, these tools cannot replace therapists. A structured, coherent care pathway grounded in recognized medical expertise and robust support mechanisms remains essential to addressing this societal challenge.
The study was carried out in collaboration with IPSOS among 19,000 adults aged 18 to 75 across 18 countries, between 12 January and 16 February 2026.