Apps built on Claude that offer mental health or crisis support must include real crisis resources, must not try to replace actual mental health professionals, and must tell users to see a licensed provider for clinical decisions.
This analysis describes what Anthropic's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
The clause establishes operational requirements for high-risk use cases to ensure products maintain appropriate boundaries between supportive content and clinical care delivery, and to establish procedural mechanisms for escalating users to professional resources when appropriate.
The Pentagon's supply chain risk designation does not directly modify Anthropic's consumer-facing terms of service, but creates government-level procurement restrictions that may affect Anthropic's ability to contract with federal agencies and defense contractors. The designation reflects the Department of Defense's assessment that Anthropic's acceptable use policy restrictions on mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons present supply chain governance concerns under federal law. Commercial users of Anthropic's services are not directly subject to this designation, but federal agencies, defense contractors, and government-dependent organizations may face new contracting or compliance obligations when evaluating Anthropic as a vendor.
View change record →If you are using a mental health or crisis support app powered by Claude, that app is required to provide real emergency resources and must not position itself as a substitute for professional clinical care — giving you an enforceable baseline of safety protections.
Cross-platform context
See how other platforms handle High-Risk Use Case Requirements — Mental Health and Crisis Support and similar clauses.
Compare across platforms →"Products or services providing crisis support or other emotional, mental, or behavioral health content... Must include appropriate crisis escalation mechanisms and support resources as part of the user experience... Must not facilitate user dependence on the product as a mental health care provider substitute... Must advise users to seek licensed healthcare providers for any clinical diagnostic or treatment decisions.Excerpt from Anthropic's API Usage Policy
(1) REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision implicates the FTC Act Section 5 (deceptive health claims), FDA digital health guidance on Software as a Medical Device (SaMD, 21 CFR Part 820), HIPAA 45 CFR §§ 164.502-164.514 for …
Enforcement risk, jurisdiction flags, contract triggers, and due diligence action items.
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The clause establishes operational requirements for high-risk use cases to ensure products maintain appropriate boundaries between supportive content and clinical care delivery, and to establish procedural mechanisms for escalating users to professional resources when appropriate.
If you are using a mental health or crisis support app powered by Claude, that app is required to provide real emergency resources and must not position itself as a substitute for professional clinical care — giving you an enforceable baseline of safety protections.
No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Anthropic.