Blog article

Why more Australians are going to hospital for mental health than ever before

By HBF
4 minutes
16 December 2022
Man consoling patient
For the past 10 years, the number of people going to hospital for mental health treatment has been steadily rising. Without simplifying a huge conversation, this is a snapshot of what's going on in Australia.

This increase includes all Aussies – but there are concerning spikes for certain groups and many are seeking hospital treatment more than once. For example, admissions for girls aged 12 to 17 more than doubled from 2007 to 2020. Boys that same age nearly doubled as well.

 

The length of time a patient stays in hospital will depend on what care they need. However, between 2019 to 2020 the average length of a stay was 15 days.1

With admission rates increasing this fast, it’s worthwhile unpacking what’s going on, and what you should know.

In this article


What is a mental health-related hospital admission?

When you think about mental health treatment, it’s easy to picture the quiet office of a psychologist or counsellor. Consultations like this are common, and they can help manage day-to-day mental health care requirements.

But what happens in a mental health emergency? What happens if someone needs looking after for days or weeks to get healthy?

In these cases, someone can be admitted to hospital for mental health treatment.

In the medical world, this is called a mental health-related hospital admission.

They might stay for part of a day, or they might stay for weeks – the average length of stay in 2019-2020 was 15 days.

Why are Australians going to hospital for mental health?

Between 2019 to 2020, the five most reported diagnoses for overnight mental health related hospitalisation with specialised psychiatric care were:1

Between 2019 to 2020, the five most reported diagnoses for overnight mental health related hospitalisation without specialised psychiatric care were:1

Who’s going into hospital and what for?

What to expect when you see a psychologist

What happens in hospital?

Exactly what happens depends on the mental health condition, and its severity. But generally, these admissions fall into two categories: ‘without specialist care’ and ‘with specialist care’ Patients are regularly reviewed by their healthcare team, and new therapies suggested where possible.2

Is the health care system keeping up?

Increasing numbers of people are affected by mental health issues. Yet, Australia’s healthcare system is still inadequate in meeting people’s mental health care needs.

In fact, only 63% of mental health-related emergency department admissions were seen on time in 2020-2021.1

Factors causing issues in the hospital system include:

Why aren’t people getting preventative care?

Limited care options means that people are falling through the gaps. Sometimes this means that they’re not treated until they reach crisis. 

Since the pandemic, 90% of psychologists in the APS reported an increase in wait times. Half of them reported a wait time of longer than 3 months.4

Some of the barriers to preventative care include:1

If you’re experiencing symptoms of anxiety, remember that help is available. Talk to your GP and find out about options that can help support you.

How can I access a psychologist?

A good first step is to talk to your GP. They can create a mental health treatment plan and refer you to a psychologist in your area.

You don’t have to have a doctor’s referral to book an appointment with a psychologist, but you will need it if you want to access a Medicare rebate.

There are two main options that can help with the cost of psychology appointments:

Note: You cannot “double dip” by claiming with Medicare and private health insurance for the same appointment. It’s one or the other.

Learn more about HBF mental health cover and how it could help you.

How to protect yourself and your children

Looking after your own mental health is important.

Things that can help include:

Looking after your children’s mental health is important for their overall wellbeing and helps them build the skills needed to live healthy, happy lives.

Things you can do to help them include:

When to go to hospital for mental health issues

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, or is at risk of hurting themselves or others, call 000 or go to the nearest emergency department.


How to support someone with a mental health condition


1 Australian Government - Mental Health

2 Government of Western Australia - Information for voluntary patients in hospital (PDF)

3 Department of Health Victoria - Acute inpatient services

4 Australian Government, Services Australia - Mental health care and Medicare

5 NAPP - The Australian Mental Health Crisis: A system failure in need of treatment, 2021


This article contains general information only and does not take into account the health, personal situation or needs of any person. In conjunction with your GP or treating health care professional, please consider whether the information is suitable for you and your personal circumstances.

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