Caring for mental health is hitting young people hardest in the hip pocket, with algorithmic social media bleeding into their lives and a cost-of-living crisis weighing on their wellbeing.
Those are the findings of a study by behavioural science non-profit System 2, which shows out-of-pocket costs increased by 80 per cent for young people in Australia accessing Medicare-subsidised mental health services.
A young person aged 15-24 paid an average of $68.02 per service in 2023/24, compared to $37.91 in 2020/21.
That translates to them paying 35 per cent more per session than those aged 45-64 and double that of 65-79 year olds.
"One of the biggest barriers to accessing mental health care is the financial strain," said 22-year-old Kushagra Rathore, a member of System 2's youth advisory board.
"It's not just about affording the sessions themselves, but also the cost of transportation, time away from work or study, and the emotional toll of navigating a complex system."
In 2022/23, Australians of all ages paid an average of $103.19 for a Medicare-subsidised appointment with a psychiatrist, $70.02 for a clinical psychologist and $76.50 for a non-clinical psychologist.
Costs need to be lowered urgently, said report co-author Erin Dakin, particularly for people aged 18-24 because they are accessing mental health services at higher rates than any other age cohort.
"These out-of-pocket costs for accessing Medicare-subsidised mental health services can really stack up," she said.
The average person requires multiple sessions to get the help they need, and it moves further out of reach beyond the annual limit of ten subsidised sessions in a care plan, Dr Dakin said.
One of the report's key recommendations is social media giants taking responsibility for ensuring young people are not exposed to unnecessary harm on their platforms.
"Without such regulation, the 'attention economy' will continue to incentivise social media companies to use dark patterns to maximise engagement at all costs," the authors said.
Both major political parties have included access to mental health services in their election campaigns.
Earlier in April, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese unveiled a $500 million package to set up 20 youth specialist care centres, designed to deal with young people who have mental health conditions such as eating disorders or personality disorders.
The coalition also promised to double the number of Medicare-subsidised psychology sessions from 10 to 20 and to set aside $15 million for research into suicide prevention.
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