The Changing World of Mental Health Therapy

Around 40 per cent of Australians have experienced a mental disorder at some time in their lives - but psychologists say some are going without treatment due to high costs and long waiting lists.

Many patients are now turning to virtual appointments, to beat the queues and get the help they need.

A recent study by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) found 3.4 million Australians sought help for their mental health between 2020 and 2022 - that's 17.4 per cent of the population aged between 16 and 85.

Gerard* is one of those.

He lives with anxiety and depression and sees a psychologist regularly and says, "we still fall in the trap of thinking that if I need help it's a weakness on our own part so just understanding that it's ok to not be ok and to need help".

During COVID-19, his psychology appointments moved online and he found he liked the virtual model so much, he's continued with it.

"Surprisingly I found it even more comfortable because I was in my own settings, I have my dog on my lap, I'm having a cup of coffee from the same cup I might use", he said.

It also means he's less likely to find an excuse to cancel an appointment.

"I've often battled a bit with social anxiety at times which I think a lot of people do, you never know how you're going to feel on a particular day when you wake up...I'm not dealing with crowds of people if I'm not feeling particularly comfortable that day to get to the appointment and even to get out," he says.

*Not his real name