Psychology body supports ADHD reform - but calls for psychologists to be included
26 May 2025
Peak body for all psychologists, The Australian Association of Psychologists (AAPi), has supported the NSW government's move to allow GPs to upskill to provide more support for patients with ADHD, but would like to see the important role of psychologists in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment acknowledged.
AAPi Chief Services Officer, Amanda Curran, said the reforms would positively impact the community, making diagnosis and treatment more accessible for NSW residents.
“However, it is imperative that there also be processes in place to ensure that a psychologist’s assessment and treatment are accessible and affordable in addition to these changes,” Ms Curran said.
“While increased access to ADHD management by GPs is welcome, it is important that psychologists, psychiatrists, paediatricians and GPs partner together to ensure accurate and timely diagnosis and treatment for all Australians with ADHD.”
"Psychologists and GPs are the ideal partners to work together with diagnostic and therapeutic supports for those investigating a diagnosis of ADHD.”
In their ADHD Senate submission in 2023, AAPi called for changes so that medication could be prescribed where appropriate by a client’s treating GP in partnership with a psychologist, who would provide psychometric assessments to confirm or rule out ADHD as the cause of difficulties for a client.
“If adequate Medicare rebates were available to support ADHD assessment to occur with a psychologist, this would significantly reduce access barriers and ensure that medications are prescribed safely and only when necessary,” Ms Curran said.
Assessment is unaffordable for so many, due to low Medicare rebates and requirements for specialist medical practitioners to refer for assessments and to enable drug prescriptions. This disproportionately affects those in rural and remote regions, First Nations people and those on lower incomes.
“There are significant difficulties accessing support following a diagnosis due to a lack of providers in rural and remote regions, long wait times to see psychologists and other specialist health professionals, and significant affordability issues due to low Medicare rebates for psychologists.
“We continue to call for an increase in the Medicare rebate for all psychologists to $150, and for the introduction of a Medicare rebate for provisional psychologists so that more clients impacted by ADHD can afford treatment.
"We would like to see this change implemented in other Australian states and territories, where there are ongoing access challenges with the addition of increased rebates for assessment services provided for psychologists," she said.
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