If you ever have a mental health issue then opt for the psychiatrist. He does more than dole out medication. The psychologist only helps people with simple common sense approaches which the average person could work out for themselves. Access to a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, clinical nurse, etc are all available free of charge at lots of hospitals without a time limit. Of course you have to meet the criteria of having a mental illness. And that's the mistake most people make. Just because you're temporarily having difficulties, or being naturally depressed (not clinically) doesn't qualify you as having a mental illness. There is a large group of people who have never learnt to cope, work their way through things. Problem is that these days everyone wants a quick fix. Someone is always rushing in saying something requires counselling or therapy. It's been proven that too early an intervention actually escalates problems. It's normal to grieve after a death; to be despondent over some major disappointment. But one shouldn't race off to a psychologist or other professional. Give time a chance. Sometimes the constant going over of events cements them in the mind and makes it impossible to let go of the memories etc. We are in an era of self-help groups and therapy for all. Everyone is both a victim and a perpetrator. Makes for quite a lucatrive industry for psychologist and counsellors. Given the current standards of the necessity for counselling/therapy we should all be receiving assistance to get over a wrongdoing done to us and at the same time should be counselled/in therapy for some real or imagined wrongdoing to someone else. Have psychologist fees payable through Medicare? Oh great, the many people with a personality disorder will just love that and drive our taxes up.

While Mr Leeder led with the notion of opening up medicare funding to psychologists - something I support in principle - there is a higher order question about access to that stream of funding to other health professionals to help counter work force shortages and mal distribution of doctors.

The productivity Commission has recommended that be looked at in a serious way - the AMA are not happy undersatandably;

There are any number of tasks that could be undertaken at a discounted rate by other professionals - its already happening. The old way of delivering health care has passed its used by date and needs a shake up. Leeder s suggestion is just one part of that.

Of course Medicare should fund all Health Professionals, this is why we pay tax, and we have paid so much that a $17 Billion budget surplus is being spoken about. We pay tax to recieve services, not to fund huge surpluses, that said if we have a huge surplus most of it should be spent to upgrade service the public need, such as Health and Education.

Yes Winston, it is another communist plot, normally refered to as "user pays"

Lorrainetag, much of your post I would agree with, especially regarding early interventions sometimes making problems worse. However, there are a few points that you make that appear to be from lack of knowledge regarding what psychologists learn these days and what they actually do. Granted temporary problems people have can often be worked out by themselves. For problems that cannot counselling is often sought (not necessarily a psychologist). Psychologists, on a whole, however deal with much larger issues then that; such as management of schizophrenia, OCD, drug free ADHD management,bipolar, major depression, eating disorders and the list goes on. A psychologist also uses the same DSM IV as any other medical practitioner - the difference is that they have had at least 6 years training purely in mental illness. It is much preferable that patients attend a psychologist for mental health problems rather then a GP, who bogged down with a room full of patients (often with simple viruses that need to run their course) will spare 10 minutes flat and frequently write a script that is inappropriate without a full diagnosis.

I think the concern that people will run to a psychologist for every little problem and drive up taxes is unfounded. These same people make many visits to doctors now. The only difference will be that they will be seeing someone well versed in the field of their illness.

Spot on post Coraliz.

As someone who has suffered from chronic depression for many years, I agree with your observations about the type of care that psychologists provide.

Another problem is that psychologists cannot write medical certificates or workcover certificates - the GP has to be informed either by the patient or psychologist, who then completes the paperwork. This is double work and clogging up health system - patently absurd.

Well for a starter the drug companies and the psyche-tries arent going to let the psyche-logics take over their turf and monopoly are they now, well not in a hurry anyway, thats for sure.That,s the first hurdle.Secondly i would just like to say that if there were psychologists available to the insecure and confused people they wouldnt have to become really depressed and drugged would they and they wouldnt have to wear a permanent mental dissorder tag but then some of them want to,but the ones who dont should be given the choice and thier not,guess what some of us know why.other than that have a nice day