Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s Promise: Extra A$400 Million for Youth Mental Health Services
Rates of Mental Illness Rising
An estimated one in seven Australian children and adolescents had a mental illness in the past 12 months. Rates of mental illness have also increased over time, particularly among younger generations. The COVID pandemic led to a rapid rise in the number of children and young people seeing their GP for mental health problems. Visits for depression rose by 61% and eating disorders by 56% compared with before the pandemic.
But There Are Long Waits for Care
Despite the greater demand for mental health treatment in Australia, there is very little information on how long young people wait to access it. The Australian Psychological Society reported that during the pandemic, 88% of psychologists increased their wait times and one in five were not taking on new clients. This meant about half of people waited more than three months to begin psychological treatment. But this is for clients of all ages.
We Asked Young People About the Wait for Care
We recently published research on the wait times for mental health treatment for Australian teens. We asked 375 young people aged 13–17 about the mental health care they have tried to access for their anxiety and depression and how long they waited to start treatment. We also asked them about their mental health while they waited, what helped them cope, and the types of support they received.
Longer Wait Times Were Linked to Poorer Mental Health
We found that on average, teens were waiting more than three months for their first session of treatment. Most teens waited to access psychologists and psychiatrists after a GP referral. While their wait times varied, nearly all teens felt they waited “too long”. Longer wait times were linked to poorer mental health, with more than 90% of teens reporting high distress while they waited.
Teens Know the Support They Need
If teens are to wait for mental health treatment, they told us they need support while they do so. Young people wanted more regular contact and “check-ins” from their service providers, someone to talk to during the wait, as well as more useful information on positive ways to cope.
What Can Governments Do?
We must carefully consider when, where and how mental health funds are invested. If governments wish to see more young people treated for their mental health problems, then we need to look at how our health-care system will cope with the growing demand. We also need national, transparent benchmarks for how long young Australians wait for mental health treatment. Only some health services in Australia have this. Other countries, such as the United Kingdom, have something similar to minimise the health risks of young people waiting too long for care.
Conclusion
Together, these findings show we desperately need to address wait times for young people’s mental health treatment. We must carefully consider when, where and how mental health funds are invested. We also need national, transparent benchmarks for how long young Australians wait for mental health treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the current state of youth mental health in Australia?
- An estimated one in seven Australian children and adolescents had a mental illness in the past 12 months.
- What is the current state of wait times for mental health treatment in Australia?
- Despite the greater demand for mental health treatment, there is very little information on how long young people wait to access it.
- What is the impact of longer wait times on mental health?
- Longer wait times were linked to poorer mental health, with more than 90% of teens reporting high distress while they waited.
- What can governments do to address wait times for young people’s mental health treatment?
- We must carefully consider when, where and how mental health funds are invested. We also need national, transparent benchmarks for how long young Australians wait for mental health treatment.
