26 March 2025 - Australia's peak psychology body, the Australian Psychological Society (APS) is dismayed the 2025-26 Federal Budget has neglected mental health - contrary to this Government's earlier commitment to wellbeing and missed a crucial opportunity to support the mental health needs of the nation.
APS President Dr Sara Quinn said despite some welcome announcements, such as scholarships for First Nations psychology students, the APS was concerned with the lack of funding, planning and commitment to the mental health care that Australians need right now.
"This Federal Budget contains some good news, but overall, it misses the mark.
"Australians today need greater access to mental health care than ever before, and the Government has not delivered what is required to meet this need," she said.
"It is a frustrating outcome for the community and for the psychology workforce that continues to do its best under immense pressure."
The APS Thinking Futures report (February 2025) – which consulted 2011 community members nationwide - reveals a troubling reality: only 10% of Australians believe the Government is doing enough to ensure access to adequate psychology services.
Dr Quinn said Australians were struggling to access care due to cost and workforce shortages.
"We had hoped the Government would recognise the need to improve access to psychology services by increasing the Medicare rebate for patients, while also providing bulk billing incentives for psychologists in order to support the community's mental health, especially in rural and remote locations.
"Action is needed to address systemic challenges and improve access to quality mental health care.
"It is imperative that the Government steps up to future-proof the psychology workforce.
"In these unsettling times of social and economic uncertainty and cost of living crisis, it is more important than ever to invest in the health of our country for the benefit of current and future generations.
"We urgently need to support initiatives to bolster the number of qualified psychologists to ensure the mental health and wellbeing of future Australians", said Dr Quinn.
"We have taken psychology professionals' and the community's concerns directly to Government. It's disappointing they seem to have been ignored.
"In our Pre-Budget Submission 2025-26, we've called for innovative, yet practical and future-facing investments that would genuinely strengthen the workforce and improve access to care.
"We put forward costed, targeted, fiscally sustainable solutions that would allow Government to achieve positive outcomes for the whole Australian community," said Dr Quinn.
Dr Quinn said the APS would continue to call on the Government to fund 10 initiatives designed to support effective mental health services in Australia:
- Free online domestic and family violence (DFV) training for psychologists and other health professionals
- Direct access to psychology services for victim-survivors of DFV
- An APS-led DFV professional support network
- Extending Commonwealth Prac Payments to postgraduate psychology students
- Developing an evidence-based National Psychology Workforce Strategy
- Improving access to psychology services by addressing affordability and cost of living pressures
- Bulk Billing Incentives for psychologists
- Psychologist-determined support in Better Access
- Streamlining GP Mental Health Reviews, and;
- Improving youth access to psychology services.
"Tonight's Budget outcome is very disappointing and does not reflect the advocacy the APS has undertaken on behalf of our members and the broader community — but our work continues," Dr Quinn said.
"We remain committed to improving mental health and wellbeing outcomes across Australia."
