The pressing need for a new voice for psychiatry in Australia

Mental health care in Australia is facing a critical crisis, marked by declining inpatient capacity, escalating demand, and widening gaps in community-based services. The absence of a strong, public-facing voice for psychiatry has contributed to poor community literacy and policy inertia.

Mental health care delivery is in a perilous state throughout Australia. The number of acute mental health beds has steadily declined over the past decade, reaching an all-time low of approximately 27 beds per 100 000 population (here) — less than half the internationally accepted benchmark of 60 per 100 000 (here). Meanwhile, demand continues to escalate. Mental health–related emergency department (ED) presentations have increased by 67% over the past two decades, with rising clinical severity (here). Prolonged ED wait times for patients requiring psychiatric admission were first highlighted several years ago (here) and have continued to deteriorate; currently, one in ten patients with a mental health diagnosis waits more than 23 hours for an inpatient bed (here). Pressure on hospitals is further compounded by the erosion of community-based services. In New South Wales alone, government data indicate that approximately 58 000 people with severe and complex mental health needs are unable to access appropriate care (here).

There are many potential reasons for this degradation of mental health care systems and the ongoing inertia for change. One factor is that community literacy about severe and complex mental illness is lower and stigma is higher than for other common illnesses such as heart disease and cancer. This lack of understanding is partly attributable to the absence of a strong, public-facing national voice, comparable to household names like the Cancer Council or the Heart Foundation.

Furthermore, the role of psychiatrists is not well understood by the public and policymakers. This lack of clarity often leads to confusion with the role of psychologists and misguided claims for role substitution by allied health, nursing, and general practitioners. Crucially, the role of psychiatrists as medical doctors and the complexity of the care they provide are not adequately recognised.

Our response

The Australian Society of Psychiatrists (ASoP) was launched in November 2025 as a member-based, not-for-profit organization to advocate for the provision of best practice mental health care across Australia (here). In concert with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP), ASoP’s primary function is to ensure psychiatrists have a strong and effective voice in influencing necessary change within the mental health care system. This initiative is driven by the immediate crisis in mental health care delivery across Australia, characterized by inadequate funding for services, workforce and infrastructure.

The compelling need for a national entity focused squarely on advocating for the care of people with severe and complex mental illnesses and raising awareness of the indispensable role of psychiatrists is the core impetus for ASoP. The Society is committed to improving the provision of mental health services for people with severe and complex mental illnesses by:

• elevating mental health as a priority on Australia’s mainstream public and political agenda;
• advocating for increased and equitable funding to enhance treatment options and access to care, especially for people who do not have the means to access private healthcare options;
• reducing stigma and increasing awareness of severe and complex mental illness among the public and policymakers; and
• Highlighting the essential role psychiatrists play in delivering high-quality mental health care.

The idea of ASoP was conceived in mid-2025 by a group of like-minded psychiatrists who had been at the forefront of highlighting the crisis within the NSW mental health system. Their advocacy achieved significant media and political impact, yet they recognised that the issues facing NSW reflected broader, nationwide challenges.

As a result, the group saw a need for a national body of psychiatrists dedicated to independent advocacy — one that could elevate severe mental illness as a national priority and ensure that mental health resources across Australia are fair, effective, and proportionate to community need.

ASoP’s purpose is to advocate for best practice mental health care in Australia and to highlight the role of psychiatrists in delivering this improvement. Planned activities include public health initiatives such as stigma reduction campaigns, early intervention programs, and advocacy for systemic reforms to improve access to care. It also focuses on translating research into clinical practice, developing best-practice models, and collaborating with health services, community organizations, and policy bodies. Additionally, the Society seeks to enhance public understanding of the role of psychiatrists through education and awareness initiatives, providing expert commentary on mental health issues based on scientific evidence and best practice. ASoP is committed to giving voice to psychiatrists and working with individuals and organisations representing the lived experience to shape the future of mental health services in Australia.

Membership is open to psychiatrists, trainees, retired practitioners, associates, and honorary members, with voting rights generally reserved for core categories (psychiatrists, trainees and retired psychiatrists). Further details are available on the Society’s website (here).

Political Advocacy and Funding Disparities

Significant gaps exist in the funding for mental health care. This disparity is evident when comparing the proportion of funding for mental health care to the proportion of disease burden resulting from mental illness. These gaps are particularly overt when compared to funding allocated for other major physical health challenges, such as diabetes and cancer. For instance, according to data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, mental health conditions and substance use disorders ranked second highest in terms of disease burden but only sixth highest in terms of spending (here).

Policy and funding decisions are often made without sufficient psychiatrist input. ASoP will champion equitable funding for mental health care and ensure psychiatrists have greater input to inform these critical policy and funding decisions. As a central body, ASoP will be a key resource for government in policy formulation, for media requiring expert commentary, and for mental health peak bodies seeking a partner.

Relationship with the RANZCP and Alignment with Best Practice

The RANZCP is the current peak body for Australian psychiatrists and performs an indispensable role in training and accreditation. However, the College’s charity status, charter, and primary function as a training and accreditation entity inherently restrict its capacity to engage in unencumbered advocacy.

The establishment of a separate society for psychiatrists, ASoP, brings the profession in line with other areas of medicine. Many other medical specialties in Australia are served by both a college and a society, which work complementarily to manage these limitations and conflicts This dual structure allows the College to focus on its core endeavours of training and accreditation, while the Society provides independent and targeted advocacy. ASoP will remain entirely independent but aims to establish a memorandum of understanding to foster a collaborative relationship with the RANZCP.

Relationship with the Australian Medical Association

Similarly, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) serves as the principal professional organization representing doctors across all specialties in Australia. Its primary focus is on advocacy, health policy, and the overall interests of the medical profession and patients. However, this broad remit understandably limits the ability for the AMA to target advocacy for specific groups. The AMA routinely works with Societies and Colleges to support specific advocacy objectives. ASoP is building strong relationships with the AMA to foster this collaborative approach.

Conclusions

By focusing on advocacy, public awareness, and systemic reform, ASoP aims to promote mental health as a national priority and ensure equitable funding and access to care for people with severe and complex mental illnesses. The Society will complement the role of existing bodies like the RANZCP and AMA, enabling psychiatrists to influence policy and service delivery without the constraints of training or government funding obligations.

Authors