‘Crisis point’: Experts warn Aussies are being robbed of the chance to manage their mental health

Experts warn Australians are hitting “crisis point” with claims caps on Medicare-rebated psychology care are robbing people of the chance to improve and manage their mental health. A coalition of peak bodies in the psychology industry has banded together to demand the federal government increase the cap on Medicare-rebated sessions. The cap on sessions through the government’s Better Access initiative was slashed from 20 in 2022, with patients now forced to pay for psychology care out of pocket once reaching the cap of 10 sessions. Amanda, a 34-year-old Brisbane woman with breast cancer, said the cap of 10 sessions was “unacceptable”, with the challenge of navigating cancer a “heavy burden” without the added stress of needing to space out sessions due to the cost. “Establishing a proactive mental health plan is daunting enough, but not having enough sessions to meet basic needs is unacceptable,” Amanda said. “I initially began my mental health plan with 20 sessions, but that was reduced, which significantly impacted my ongoing mental balance.” The 34-year-old has been forced to forgo fortnightly sessions and instead seek care on a monthly basis, having purchased private health insurance to help cover the cost when her rebated sessions run out. The recommended consultation fee for a standard 45-60 minute appointment at private practices in 2024-25 is $311, according to the Australian Psychological Society, however the fee is at the discretion of individual psychologists and clinics. Some Aussies have been forced to turn to buy now, pay later platforms to afford mental health services, according to a report by The Australian, with more than 40 per cent of Australians aged between 16 and 85 having experienced a mental disorder throughout their life, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Further, one in six Australians from the same age group experienced suicidal thoughts or behaviours over their life between 2020 and 2022. Australian Association of Psychologists Inc. executive director Tegan Carrison said patients were hitting a “crisis point” at this time of the year, as they ran out of rebated sessions. “Once their better access sessions have run out their only options are to see a psychologist for the full fee without rebates, or to simply to stop their treatment,” Ms Carrison said. She said patients had often “taken multiple steps backwards” by the time they were able to access care again once their 10 sessions were depleted. “Their care needs escalate and they get worse,” Ms Carrison said. “It’s really challenging for clients, and it’s really also demoralising for the psychologists that are doing their very best to help people get well again.” Ms Carrison said rates of mental health distress were escalating and issued a desperate plea for action. “We’re very much in a mental health crisis in this country … but unfortunately the government is just not prioritising access to services and care,” she said. “Individuals are really left in crisis and unfortunately sometimes this can escalate to very traumatic and devastating instances.” She called the caps an “arbitrary government decision”. “There are no caps on how many times you can see a GP a year … it’s really concerning how mental health care is treated so differently,” she said. Australian Clinical Psychology Association president Caroline Hunt said there was a risk of patients being “half treated” without change. “I’ve seen people who really need continuing treatment beyond their 10 sessions, then it gets to the point where people are no longer eligible for the rebate,” Professor Hunt said. “There are millions of people living with mental health issues who need more care and cannot improve with a 10-session limit.” She said patients were forced to make a “difficult decision” when rebated sessions ran out. “There are a lot of people that can make do with 10 sessions, but there are also a lot of people that really need the 20 … otherwise you’re half treating people,” Professor Hunt said. A massive coalition of experts and patients have come together to demand more Medicare-rebated psychology sessions. Professor Hunt said the number of experts highlighted the urgency of the issue. “This is the first time to my knowledge that so many psychology organisations have come together and all spoken with the one voice,” she said. “The fact that there are so many groups all saying this is a problem is really significant.” However, Health Minister Mark Butler said “there can’t be a one size fits all approach to mental health” and “reform will take time”. He said the 10 additional rebated sessions offered during the pandemic “meant tens of thousands of Australians missed out on getting any care”. “If you double the number of sessions without doubling the number of psychologists, you create a bottleneck in the system,” Mr Butler said. “Mental health experts warned that would happen, and that’s exactly what did happen. Tens of thousands of Australians were locked out of getting any help at all. “Since the cessation of the additional 10 sessions on 31 December 2022, an additional 44,900 people in 2023 and 47,000 people in 2024 were able to get help through Better Access compared to 2022.” Mr Butler also said the government was increasing the number of postgraduate psychology places at universities and providing more psychology internships and supervisors, while Medicare Mental Health Centres would be rolled out to provide free access for “everyone who walks in the door”. Each of the 61 centres will be free without a limit on sessions to “help ensure that cost is not a barrier for Australians to get the ongoing care they need”. The consumer advocacy organisation Lived Experience Australia, Australian Clinical Psychology Association, Australian Psychological Society, Institute of Clinical Psychologists, Association of Counselling Psychologists, Australian Association of Psychologists Inc, Institute of Private Practising Psychologists, Australian Educational and Developmental Psychology Association, and the Heads of Departments and Schools of Psychology Association are all calling for more sessions. A change.org petition has been set up to increase the 10-session cap. news.com.au mental health helplines