Psychologists slam Budget for abandoning mental health
25 March 2025
Australian Association of Psychologists Executive Director Tegan Carrison said she was devastated by the Federal Budget.
“My heart is breaking for all the families in crisis who had hoped that the Government would hear their pleas for support and appropriate funding to get their mental health back on track.
“It seems the Federal Government has forgotten we are in the midst of an ongoing mental health crisis.
“The Government’s claims that this is the largest investment in Medicare since its creation 41 years ago and continues to ignore one of the key aspects of health - mental health! Since when is mental health not considered part of Medicare?
“Mark Butler said he was delivering ‘a healthcare system that means all you need to receive quality health care is your Medicare card, not your credit card’. Quality, universal health care must include mental health. Out-of-pocket costs are the highest ever for mental health due to systemic underfunding, and cost remains the major barrier to accessing appropriate care.
“I would like the Federal Government to explain to the 4.2 million people in this country who have experienced a mental health disorder in the past 12 months why they have been abandoned.
“Mental ill health is costing this country $220 billion each year and excluding and deprioritising mental health care is not only short-sighted, it’s destroying families and communities. We know that with prevention, early intervention and treatment, people can thrive and contribute to their families, workplaces, communities and the country.
“We can only hope that in the Government’s haste in preparing this Budget, someone forgot to include ANY initiatives to address our crippling mental health crisis.
“Coming into government, the Prime Minister promised to ‘strengthen universal healthcare through Medicare’ - but again, what about mental health? Do people with mental health care needs not count? We hear every day from psychologists about people needing to choose between putting food on the table and lifesaving mental health care. This is a huge missed opportunity to address what really matters.”
ENDS
About AAPi
AAPi is a not-for-profit peak body for psychologists that aims to preserve the rich diversity of psychological practice in Australia. Formed in 2010 by a group of passionate grassroots psychologists, AAPi’s primary goal is to address inequality in the profession and represent all psychologists and their clients equally to government and funding bodies. Its primary mission is to lobby for equitable access for the Australian public to professional psychological services such as Medicare Better Access Scheme and the National Disability Insurance Scheme.