The following story centres around mental health care and support. Listener discretion is advised.

Half a million Australians currently live with mental health issues too complex for GP care, but not urgent enough to warrant hospitalisation. Yet they don’t qualify for NDIS, and cannot access the support they need.

With different mental health services separately run by the State and Federal Government, there is often a “missing middle” that many Australians fall into. While awareness of mental health in Australia has grown over the past 20 years, the support systems in place to help individuals experiencing mental illness have evolved at a much slower pace.

Tuesday Drive is joined by Sebastian Rosenberg, Associate Professor in mental health policy at both the University of Canberra and the University of Sydney, to discuss what is lacking in the Australian system and what needs to change.

If this story has raised any concerns for you or someone you know, call a 24/7 counsellor on Beyond Blue at 1300 224 636, or Lifeline at 13 11 14.