Mental health care in general practice

When to make an appointment

There is no threshold of severity that has to be met first. Common reasons to book include low mood, anxiety or loss of interest lasting more than about two weeks; changes in sleep or appetite; difficulty coping at work, study or home; using alcohol or other substances to manage how you feel; or medication that is not working or is causing side effects.

It is also reasonable to come in without a clear description of the problem. A great deal of useful assessment starts with someone saying only that something is not right.

What happens at the first appointment

Book a longer appointment. Assessment takes time, and a mental health consultation is one of the few appointment types with a minimum length built into it.

The conversation typically covers how things have been and for how long, sleep, appetite, energy and concentration, what is happening at work or home, alcohol and other substance use, physical health and current medicines, and any family history. Most people are also asked to complete a short questionnaire — a standard way of measuring symptoms at a point in time so that change can be tracked later, rather than a test that is passed or failed.

Assessment often takes more than one visit. It is common to leave the first appointment with a plan for the next one rather than with everything settled.

What a mental health treatment plan is

A GP Mental Health Treatment Plan is a written plan made with someone who has a diagnosed mental health condition. It records the assessment and a provisional or formal diagnosis, sets out agreed goals, and includes a plan for what to do if things get worse — which is often the most valuable part of the document and the part people remember using.

The plan gives access to Medicare rebates for up to ten individual sessions and ten group sessions with a mental health professional in a calendar year. Up to two of the ten individual sessions can be used for family or carer participation.

Referral usually happens in two stages: an initial course of up to six sessions, then a review appointment to see how it is going before the remaining sessions are referred. That review is a genuine checkpoint, not a formality — it is where a plan that is not working can be changed.

A change worth knowing about

Since 1 November 2025, plan reviews and further referrals need to be done by your usual GP, or by a GP at the practice where you are registered under MyMedicare.

In practical terms, that means a mental health plan is not something to get written at whichever clinic has an appointment free. It is worth having it done somewhere you intend to keep going back to.

Seeing a psychologist or a psychiatrist

Most referrals are to a psychologist or another mental health professional for psychological therapy. Health professionals set their own fees, so there may be a gap payment depending on who you see — worth asking when booking.

Referral to a psychiatrist is a different pathway and is not part of the ten sessions. It is often a single longer assessment appointment producing a diagnosis and a management plan, which the GP then carries out — rather than an open-ended transfer of care. People are frequently surprised by this, and it is worth knowing in advance.

What to bring, and what to ask

Useful things to bring: a list of current medicines including anything over the counter, a note of what has been happening and for how long, and any questions written down beforehand. Some people bring a family member or friend, which is entirely reasonable.

Questions worth asking: what do you think is going on, what are the treatment options, would I benefit from seeing someone else, how long before I might notice a difference, and what should I do if things get worse before then.

Ongoing care

Mental health conditions are rarely resolved in one appointment, and the pattern of care usually looks more like a long-term condition than a single episode. Plans are reviewed at least once a year, and more often when things are changing.

Where several things overlap — a long-term physical condition, chronic pain, workplace stress, sleep problems, alcohol — treating them separately tends not to work well. Much of the value of managing mental health in general practice comes from being able to see those threads together.