About 1 million mental health care sessions have been accessed under Medicare in the past month, but psychologists say that figure doesn't convey the full picture of spiking unmet demand amid COVID-19.
A spike in demand for psychology services across Australia has seen waiting times triple in some regions, with a number of providers saying they are fully booked until next year.Psychologists say waitlists are long, with some booked out until 2021Since mid-March, Australians have accessed 5,774,696 mental health services funded by Medicare.
"I am worried about clients that have depression and if they have a wait time or too big of a gap between their sessions, that's not safe for them," she said. Plus, she is cautious about referring existing clients elsewhere, because they would have to repeat their case history and build a relationship with a new therapist.
Patrick Jones, founder of Perth Psychologists, says he has never seen service demand like this before.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Vulnerable COVID-infected people turned away from hotel quarantineDozens of requests for emergency accommodation from Victorians infected with coronavirus, including some who are homeless and others with complex medical needs, have been rejected
Read more »
Vulnerable COVID-infected people turned away from hotel quarantineDozens of requests for emergency accommodation from Victorians infected with coronavirus, including some who are homeless and others with complex medical needs, have been rejected
Read more »
‘Marked difference’ between people in Kenosha and those who came to protest | Sky News AustraliaSky News Political Reporter Annelise Nielsen says there is an obvious distinction between the people in Kenosha and those who come in for the sole purpose of protesting.\n\nAfter Jacob Blake was shot in the back just over a week ago in Kenosha, Wisconsin, protesters have marched in the city’s centre, with some demonstrations turning violent.\n\n“It is an absolutely marked difference between the people in Kenosha and those who come in to protest,” Ms Nielsen told Sky News host Paul Murray.\n\n“In the week after the shooting … 102 of the more than 170 arrests were people who don’t live in Kenosha.\n\n“So many of the people who support Donald Trump, who don’t support Donald Trump they were looking at the damage and saying ‘these aren’t our people, these are people who are out there to wreak havoc’.”\n\nImage: AP
Read more »
Fourteen people go on trial over Charlie Hebdo terror attacks that stunned FranceFourteen people accused of helping jihadist gunmen storm the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo and a Jewish supermarket went on trial Wednesday, five years after three days of terror sent shock waves through France.
Read more »
'We just want to represent the people': Glen Ella calls for common sense on Wallabies Aboriginal flag banIndigenous Wallabies great Glen Ella hopes common sense prevails after a copyright feud blocked Rugby Australia from putting the Aboriginal flag on its First Nations jersey.
Read more »
Vulnerable COVID-infected people turned away from hotel quarantineDozens of requests for emergency accommodation from Victorians infected with coronavirus, including some who are homeless and others with complex medical needs, have been rejected
Read more »