Mental Health Australia says new national polling shows a clear gap between community expectations and government action on mental health, following last Friday’s Health Ministers meeting, which did not deliver a clear pathway forward on a new National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement.
The Agreement had already been extended by 12 months, and Mental Health Australia is concerned this latest delay could put its finalisation before the new June 2027 deadline at risk.
New polling commissioned by Mental Health Australia and conducted by Essential Media found:
- 68% of people think governments should invest more in mental health
- 43% say governments are handling mental health poorly
- 65% believe there’s a gap between the support people need and what’s available
- Only 49% believe they could afford mental health care if they needed it
- 81% think cost shouldn’t be a barrier to accessing support
- 41% would rather pay more tax for free or low-cost mental health services than keep the current funding model (versus 32% who’d accept things as they are)
Mental Health Australia CEO Carolyn Nikoloski said the delayed Agreement represents around $1.7 billion in community mental health investment, and that continued uncertainty means longer waits for services, missed opportunities for early intervention, and pressure on suicide aftercare. She also pointed to nearly 500,000 people with psychosocial disability who remain unable to access support through the NDIS or the broader mental health system, a gap governments have known about since August 2024.
Mental Health Australia is calling on all governments to return to the negotiating table with renewed urgency and deliver concrete commitments to improve access to affordable, quality mental health care. Read their full media release here.
