Medical Xpress March 28, 2025
The average wait time for the first session of treatment in Australia could be further harming the mental health of teens, a study has found, prompting calls to introduce national standards.
The study, published in BMJ Open, is based on a survey of 375 Australians aged 13–17 years. Professor Bridianne O’Dea is one of the lead researchers, based at the Black Dog Institute, UNSW Sydney and Flinders University Institute for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
She says the average wait time for teens to see a treatment provider for anxiety and depression is 99.6 days—highlighting a pressing need for systemic reform in mental health service delivery for young Australians.
“We are now in the midst of a crisis where the demand...
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