Over the past decade, mental health prescribing in Australia has climbed steadily, with nearly one in five Australians now receiving at least one mental health-related prescription each year. Antidepressants dominate this landscape, accounting for the vast majority of prescriptions, while millions more Australians are also prescribed antipsychotics, stimulants, anxiolytics, and sedatives. This sharp rise reflects not only increasing distress, but a growing national reliance on medication as a primary mental health response.
Yet beneath these numbers lies a troubling reality: as prescribing has expanded, government subsidy growth has not kept pace equally for those most vulnerable. Changes to PBS pricing and under co-payment structures have shifted more costs onto consumers, meaning many disadvantaged Australians may now carry a greater personal financial burden for essential medications. For lower-income communities, people living with chronic mental illness, and those in rural or underserved areas, this raises serious concerns about equity. More people are receiving prescriptions—but not necessarily more holistic, affordable, or accessible mental health care. The result is a widening gap where medication use increases, while broader structural support may be falling behind those who need it most.
At the same time, access to non-pharmacological supports such as psychotherapy, trauma-informed care, peer support, and community-based interventions remains uneven and often financially out of reach. While programs like Medicare-subsidised psychological sessions provide some assistance, many Australians still face long waitlists, limited session numbers, or significant out-of-pocket costs. This imbalance risks reinforcing a system where medication is often the most accessible intervention, even when many people may benefit from broader relational, psychological, and social approaches to recovery. Fortunately, the growing number of mental health Nurse Practitioners can partly offset this inequity. Nurse Practitioners can diagnose, prescribe, deprescribe, order tests and make referrals, provide certificates for work absence, and also offer psychotherapy, EMDR, DBT and many other treatments for anxiety and depression, with a Medicare rebate available. What’s missing are Medicare subsidies for group therapy programs to build access, connection, community and recovery skills. Therapeutic groups can help more people get help and support sooner.
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2023). Mental health-related prescriptions. Canberra, ACT: AIHW. https://www.aihw.gov.au/mental-health/topic-areas/mental-health-prescriptions
