The mental health sector is grappling with an unprecedented crisis. Demand for services is very high and growing rapidly, far outpacing our collective capacity to provide the necessary care.

One in five Australians experiences a mental health incident every year, with the figure rising to two in five for individuals aged sixteen to twenty four1. In the UK, it is one in four2, and demand has grown by one hundred and fifty percent in just the last two years3.

A significant workforce shortage is exacerbating the issue, with Australia currently meeting only thirty five percent of its psychology workforce target4 and virtually all psychiatrists believing the workforce crisis directly impacts patient care5. In England, two million people are currently on waitlists for mental health services, while nineteen percent of all mental health job openings remain unfilled2.

This gap between demand and available resources presents a critical challenge that must be addressed urgently. While scaling the workforce is an obvious part of the answer, technology and AI have a critical role to play in amplifying access and quality of care.