• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide rates are rising despite national commitments
• Psychiatrists call for locally based, culturally safe specialist care in regional and remote Australia
• Disproportionate youth incarceration underscores need for early mental health intervention
• Federal Government urged to expand rural psychiatrist training with priority for First Nations applicants

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists is warning the latest Closing the Gap data showing rising suicide rates must be treated as an urgent call to action.

The newly released data confirms that suicide outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are worsening, particularly in regional and remote communities, where access to specialist, culturally safe mental health care remains limited.

The data also highlights that youth detention rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people continue to rise, reinforcing the critical need for early, accessible mental health support for children and young people, particularly those at risk of contact with the justice system.

RANZCP President Dr Astha Tomar said the findings reflect long standing gaps in the mental health care.

“These figures are deeply distressing, but they are not surprising. For too many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, specialist mental health care is simply not available when it’s needed, or not delivered in a way that feels culturally safe,” Dr Tomar said.

“When people are forced to travel vast distances, rely on fly in fly out services, or navigate care that doesn’t understand culture, Country or community, problems escalate instead of being treated early.”

Dr Tomar said the data reinforces what psychiatrists and communities have consistently highlighted - that mental health care must be built with, not just delivered to, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

“Closing the Gap on suicide means closing the gap in access to specialist care. That requires more psychiatrists in regional and remote Australia, and it requires Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander psychiatrists working in their own communities.”

Australia’s psychiatry workforce remains heavily concentrated in metropolitan areas, with around 90 per cent of psychiatrists working in major cities and only 10 per cent across regional, rural, and remote areas combined. Many communities have no local psychiatrist at all. 

This workforce maldistribution disproportionately affects First Nations peoples, who are far more likely to live outside major cities and experience higher levels of mental ill health, trauma and distress.

“You cannot close the suicide gap while there are entire regions without access to culturally safe psychiatric care. This is not a failure of individuals or communities, it is a system failing to meet people where they are,” Dr Tomar said.

“Solutions must be designed and delivered in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, including Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations and lived experience leaders.”

The RANZCP is calling on the Federal Government to use the upcoming budget to expand the Rural Psychiatry Training Program, supporting the training of up to 70 additional rural psychiatrists over two years, with a focus on building a workforce that stays in community.

“Doctors tend to stay where they train. If we want psychiatrists working long‑term in regional and remote communities, we need to train them there, and we need to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors to enter and thrive in psychiatry,” Dr Tomar said.

As part of the College’s Rural Psychiatry Roadmap, these training pathways prioritise First Nations applicants and support culturally safe supervision, remote supervision, and partnerships with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations.

“When Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can see psychiatrists who understand their cultural, family and community context, care is more effective, problems are identified earlier, and crises can be prevented,” Dr Tomar said,

RANZCP programs such as the Psychiatry Interest Forum (PIF) are already helping to strengthen this pipeline. Since 2013, more than 9,100 medical students and junior doctors have joined the program, including 195 First Nations members, demonstrating strong interest that must now be matched with funded training places.

Dr Tomar said the latest Closing the Gap data should sharpen the focus of the upcoming Federal Budget.

“Closing the Gap targets cannot be met without addressing mental health in a serious, sustained way. This Budget is an opportunity for the Government to act on the evidence, listen to communities, and invest in solutions that are proven to work.”

“Training more rural psychiatrists, supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors into psychiatry, and embedding culturally safe specialist care is not optional, it is essential if we are serious about preventing further loss of life.”

View the RANZCP 2026 Pre-Budget Submission

To arrange an interview call Raj Wakeling on 0420 414 724 or email raj@theshapeagency.com.au

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists is a membership organisation that prepares medical specialists in the field of psychiatry, supports and enhances clinical practice, advocates for people affected by mental illness and advises governments and other groups on mental health care. For information about our work, our members or our history, visit www.ranzcp.org.

In Australia: If you or someone you know needs help, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or www.lifeline.org.au or the Suicide Callback Service on 1300 659 467 or www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or via web chat on www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support. 

In New Zealand: If you or someone you know needs help, contact Lifeline NZ on 0800 543 354 or www.lifeline.org.nz or the Suicide Crisis Helpline on 0508 828 865 or www.lifeline.org.nz/suicide-prevention.