The latest Health of the Nation teaser has revealed what challenges are facing GPs in mental health care.
The scale of the mental health needs of Australians is the latest major finding from the RACGP’s Health of the Nation report revealed ahead of the survey’s release next week, amid sustained calls for rebate reform.
Around 71% of GPs nominated mental health as the top reason for patient presentations, an increase of 10% on the first year of the survey, 2017.
These findings are expected by the RACGP to help push forward reforms when it comes to GP involvement in mental health and broader GP-centred multidisciplinary care approaches.
“It shows that we’re spending more time with patients providing more complex care, and we need to particularly put more funding in, to support us to deliver that care,” RACGP president Dr Michael Wright told The Medical Republic.
“… We don’t want any patients not seeking care because of cost, and we want to reward the GPs who are providing this care.
“[That includes] adding more funding for practices to work with a range of [professionals], like psychologist or a mental health worker.”
This has been backed by the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc (AAPi), who have called for an increase in Medicare rebates for mental health.
“While the GP is the first point of call for someone needing mental health support, psychologists are the experts in mental health and improvements must be made in increasing access to psychological care,” AAPi executive director Tegan Carrison said.
“We continue to call for psychology rebates to be lifted to $150 per session across the board to ensure Australians can access the care they need without delay or financial distress.”
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The RACGP has reiterated that general practice should be the effective base for directing mental health care as part of scope of practice.
“We saw a significant increase in mental health appointments during the covid-19 pandemic and those figures have stayed high ever since,” Dr Wright said.
“It’s clear our patients still need that same level of mental health support, so it’s vital to continue investment in general practice care, including increased patient rebates for longer consults.
“This is particularly important for patients who need mental health support, as well as chronic diseases, which can also put pressure on our mental health.”
Another finding from the mental health portion of the Health of the Nation report was that female GPs were reporting higher amounts of patients presenting with psychological concerns.
While 75% of female GPs nominated psychological issues as one of their top three reasons for patient visits, this was true for just 66% of male GPs.
The report has also highlighted that one in five people over 15 years in need of a health professional for their mental health have not been able to or delayed a visit due to cost.
Health of the Nation 2025 will be officially released next week.
