Australian Mental Health Access Report 2026

The Australian Mental Health Access Report 2026 is a national resource examining the practical barriers Australians experience when seeking mental health support. It brings together evidence on demand, service use, workforce capacity, regional and remote service gaps, telehealth, affordability, waiting times, child and adolescent access, and NDIS-related demand.

The report introduces the Australian Mental Health Access Index 2026 and a Top 20 Mental Health Access Hotspots framework. These tools are intended to support discussion about service planning, workforce investment, regional priorities, commissioning and future research. The report also considers mental health access risks through to 2030.

An accompanying Research Addendum expands the report’s approach to multidimensional access measurement, policy scenarios, monitoring and evaluation, and uncertainty.

This free resource may be useful to policymakers, health professionals, service planners, researchers, educators, community organisations and others interested in improving equitable access to mental health care.

View and download the complete report:
https://therapynearme.com.au/australian-mental-health-access-report-2026/