Psychologist Sarah Dargouth Reassesses Human Therapy as Fewer Than 7% Receive Effective Mental-Health Care
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 8
Psychologist Sarah Dargouth Reassesses Human Therapy as Fewer Than 7% Receive Effective Mental-Health Care
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 8
Summary
Boston clinical psychologist Sarah Dargouth says patients are increasingly bringing AI into therapy sessions, sometimes using chatbot advice to end relationships or repair fights before she can intervene.
Her reassessment deepened after she used AI herself during her 9-year-old’s tantrum and found its calm, immediate coaching effective despite warning patients that chatbots can fuel anxiety, false information, isolation and even delusional or suicidal thinking.
Dargouth argues AI may soon rival therapists on technique and interpretation, especially as telehealth expands and systems improve at reading facial expressions and simulating empathy.
Less than 7% of people with mental-health or substance-use conditions receive effective treatment, she notes, making AI a free, imperfect and risky tool that could still fill gaps in care.
She ultimately suggests human therapy’s edge may lie in its messiness and genuine connection—illustrated when a patient said a shared laugh, not polished therapeutic dialogue, made her feel better.
When AI's 'fake' support provides real relief, are we healing our minds or just learning to depend on a machine?
As AI therapy booms, are new state laws enough to protect users from its hidden psychological and privacy dangers?
The 6.9% Solution: Exposing the Global Failure of Effective Mental Health Care and Paths Forward
Overview
The report highlights a global crisis in mental health care, revealing that only 6.9% of people with mental health and substance use disorders receive effective treatment. This finding comes from a major 2025 study led by D. V. Vigo, which analyzed 19 years of data from nearly 57,000 participants across 21 countries. The research used the World Health Organization-World Mental Health Surveys Initiative to systematically gather information on the prevalence, severity, and treatment of mental disorders worldwide. These results expose a profound gap in care, emphasizing the urgent need for better access and more effective mental health services globally.