A surging transient population and rising costs of living have widened mental health gaps across the Gold Coast, as psychologists warn inadequate Medicare rebates are restricting capacity to meet high demand.
According to industry body the Australian Association of Psychologists (AAPi), rising cost of living pressures are fuelling high demand for mental health support.
"People are really struggling to make ends meet," chief services officer Amanda Curran said.
"They're feeling increasingly stressed, they're feeling increasingly depressed and hopeless about their situation."
A report by the McKell Institute, commissioned by the AAPi, found demand for sessions climbed by an average of 70 per cent year-on-year since the pandemic began.
The organisation also found that 52 per cent of clients wait longer than 6 weeks while 27 per cent wait longer than two months for services.
Some 'can't afford the gap'
An assessment from Gold Coast Hospital and Health Services showed one in 12 people on the Gold Coast — about 53,000 people — reported a mental health condition in 2022, including depression and anxiety.
Registered psychologist Shelley Jacks, who manages a private practice on the Gold Coast, said many people seeking support do not receive it.
"It takes a lot of courage to go and see a psychologist," she said.
"A lot of people get turned away because they can't afford it or the psychologist is booked up.
"You wouldn't want to break your leg, and then someone say, 'oh sorry you have to wait for six weeks before you can come in'."
As the cost of living has increased, so too have clinic costs for psychologists, pushing up consultation fees.
A Medicare rebate is available for psychology sessions but Ms Jacks said "there's a lot of people out there that cannot afford that gap".
A national survey by the AAPi found 77 per cent of psychologists reported an increase in the cost of practising, with about 80 per cent charging more than $151 per session.
"To manage a psychology practice, in order to make a profit to keep the company going, you need to charge I would say around $180 to $200 for your session," Ms Jacks said.
'Very competitive' pathway to psychology
While increasing Medicare rebates could help more people afford mental health support, the AAPi said increasing the supply of psychologists will take more reform.
According to the Psychology Board of Australia, there are about 36,000 practising psychologists in Australia and about 8,200 provisional psychologists — trainees who practice under supervision and are in the final stages of becoming fully registered.
The AAPi's Amanda Curran said all psychologists need to complete a four-year undergraduate degree.
Clients of clinical psychologists who go on to complete a two-year master's degree, receive a $131 Medicare rebate.
Clients of registered psychologists, who instead complete a one-year postgraduate degree followed by a year-long work placement, receive a $90 rebate.
But Ms Curran said, "there should be no differentiation," and the industry has lobbied the federal government to increase rebates for registered psychologists.
"All psychologists have the same requirements. We would expect the same quality of care from all psychologists," she said.
"Increasing that rebate to $150 would increase the amount of bulk-billed sessions that could be put through as well, so more people could get the help that they need."
On the Gold Coast, Ms Jacks said while "there's the potential for a lot of extra psychologists", the limited number of clinical masters placements at universities meant it was "very, very competitive and hard to get into".
"We shouldn't send people to a four-year degree if there's not an option for them to complete what they need to be doing," she said.
Another industry body, the Australian Psychology Society, has been contacted for comment.
A spokesperson for the federal Department of Health said Medicare rebates were "set at a rate considered reasonable by the government taking into account matters such as the practitioner's qualifications and the nature, time and complexity of the service".
"Clinical psychologists undertake additional study to obtain their area of practice endorsement."
'Transient' stresses on system
An assessment by the Gold Coast Health and Hospital Services stated that waiting times for mental health support "inevitably meant the momentum of the help-seeking decision was lost, reducing opportunity for successful outcomes".
Gold Coast Mental Health Services clinical director Sandeep Kumar Chand said "mental health on the Gold Coast is unique in a way".
"We have a transient population who come as visitors, and we see at any given point of time, patients who are not known to [the] service," Dr Chand said.
"When they get discharged, sometimes we feel that the Gold Coast [does] lack those kinds of services.
"People moving interstate, wanting to live on the Gold Coast and seeking mental health support.
"We've got to work from scratch, build up support networks around them."
