Access to mental health specialists: a critical reform priority 

Access to mental health specialists: a critical reform priority 

Every year, one in five people in Australia experiences mental health challenges. Yet for many people, accessing specialist mental health care remains out of reach. 

Meanwhile, demand for support continues to grow across the system, with GPs seeing increasing numbers of patients with complex mental health needs and mental health remaining the most common reason for GP visits. Mental health-related emergency department presentations also continue to grow, reaching 318,200 nationally in 2024-25, from around 276,500 in 2015-16 – a 15 per cent increase over the past decade. 

Mental Health Australia recently provided a submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Disability Inquiry into access to and affordability of medical specialists in Australia.  

We welcomed this timely Inquiry because access to mental health specialists, including psychiatrists, is becoming an increasing challenge for people seeking care.  

Our consultation with members identified three key challenges: workforce shortages, inequitable distribution of services, and affordability. Australia currently has approximately 16 psychiatrists per 100,000 people and is projected to face a 20.7 per cent undersupply by 2048. Access challenges are particularly acute in rural, regional and remote communities, and areas experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage. 

Cost is another significant barrier to receiving timely, appropriate, and ongoing support, particularly for young people. Financial pressures also impact families, carers and kin, who are supporting loved ones, including taking time off work, travelling to appointments, and covering out-of-pocket costs. In 2024-25, one in five people reported not seeing a mental health professional because of cost, up from 12 per cent in 2020-21. 

Informed by member consultation, Mental Health Australia has made a number of recommendations including:  

• greater investment in and leveraging existing free multidisciplinary, centre-based services to increase access to specialist care 
• improved referral pathways to psychiatrists 
• action to grow, strengthen, and ensure equitable distribution of the psychiatry workforce 
• culturally safe, inclusive care for Australia's diverse communities, including, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, LGBTQIA+ and multicultural communities.  

These recommendations align closely with Mental Health Australia's Workforce Priorities Paper, released in July, which highlighted the urgent need to address workforce shortages, recruitment and retention challenges, and strengthen long-term workforce planning. Without a sustainable workforce, people will continue to face delays and barriers to accessing appropriate care. 

Improving access to specialist mental health care is fundamental component to building a mental health system that works for everyone. By investing in the workforce and removing barriers to care, we can deliver better outcomes for people experiencing mental health challenges, as well as their families, carers and kin.