Source data: Expenditure on mental health-related services tables (506KB XLXS).
Australian Government expenditure on Department of Defence funded mental health programs has increased by an average of 6.4% per year for the period 2014–15 ($44.9 million) to 2018–19 ($57.6 million), adjusted for inflation. The expenditure covers a range of mental health programs and services delivered to Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel. When the number of permanent ADF personnel is taken into consideration (58,058 people Department of Defence, 2019) this equates to $992 per permanent ADF member in 2018–19.
Australian Government expenditure on Medicare-subsidised mental health-specific services
Throughout this section, Medicare-subsidised mental health-specific services refers to the mental health-specific services subsidised by the Australian Government through the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS). These services include mental health-specific services provided by psychiatrists, general practitioners (GPs), psychologists (both clinical and other), and other allied health professionals and are defined in the MBS. Refer to the data source section for further information on the estimation of GP expenditure prior to 2007–08.
In 2018–19, $1.3 billion was paid in benefits for Medicare-subsidised mental health-specific services, equating to 5.3% of total MBS expenditure ($24.4 billion - including Dental Benefits Schedule and the Child Dental Benefits Schedule) (Services Australia 2019). Expenditure for services provided by psychologists ($580 million or 44.8%) made up the largest proportion, comprising mostly Psychological Therapy Services (clinical psychologists; $310 million) and Focussed Psychological Strategies (other psychologists; $264 million). Expenditure on services provided by psychiatrists was the next largest expenditure group ($372 million or 28.7%). GP expenditure comprised $307 million (23.7%) of total Medicare subsidised mental health-related benefits.
Nationally, benefits paid for Medicare-subsidised mental health-related services averaged $51 per person in 2018–19, adjusted for inflation to 2017–18 prices (Figure EXP.3). The average benefits paid per person was highest in Victoria ($57 per person), and lowest in the Northern Territory ($16 per person).