Anxiety and depression support services

By ReachOut Content Team
Updated 31 March 2025

If you’re experiencing depression or anxiety and wondering where to turn, our guide on anxiety and depression support services can help you understand what help is available.

This can help if:

  • you’re wondering what support is available for people with depression or anxiety

  • you’re not sure where to find help 

  • you want to speak with someone immediately.

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Getting professional depression and anxiety support

If you’re experiencing depression or anxiety, there is a range of effective treatments and services available to support you. Here are some mental health professionals who might be able to help with depression and anxiety

GPs

Your GP can help you to better understand what’s going on for you and help you figure out how to address mental health concerns. They’ll work with you to understand your experiences, rule out physical causes, and refer you to other help if needed. Your GP might also suggest a mental health-care plan, which can help cover the cost of seeing a mental health professional.

If you’re nervous that your GP won’t ‘get’ what you’re going through, you could look online for a GP who lists ‘mental health’ as an area of interest. You could also speak to the receptionist at your local practice about the best doctor to see for depression or anxiety support.

Psychologists and psychiatrists

Psychologists and psychiatrists are mental health professionals, often referred to by a GP. Psychiatrists are doctors who specialise in mental health and can prescribe medication. Psychologists have specialised training in diagnosing, treating and preventing mental health disorders, but don’t write prescriptions. Search Beyond Blue's directory of mental health practitioners to find a GP or mental health professional in your area.

Anxiety and depression support services and helplines

There are a range of online, research-based and community-led organisations that provide information and tools to support people with depression and anxiety. Some of these organisations are:

headspace

headspace provides mental health support that can help you with depression, anxiety and other mental health concerns. They provide free online and phone counselling and have treatment centres located all around Australia.

Kids Helpline

Kids Helpline is a support service for young people aged 5–25. They provide free online and phone counselling for anxiety and depression and are available 24/7. You can also request the same counsellor every time.

Black Dog Institute

Black Dog Institute specialises in mental health issues, including depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder. Their website has detailed information, including self-tests and suggestions for what you can do right now.

Beyond Blue

Beyond Blue provides information on depression and anxiety, including symptom checklists and details of additional support services.

SANE Australia

SANE provides information and resources for people with complex mental health issues. It also has a hotline and forums where you can chat with other people.

Medicare Mental Health

Medicare Mental Health (formerly Head to Health) makes searching for anxiety and depression support easier by pointing you to available mental health information, programs and services from publicly funded providers.

Mental Health Carers Australia

Mental Health Carers Australia is an organisation for friends and family members supporting people with mental health concerns.

13YARN

13 YARN is a national helpline for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people who are going through a tough time and feel like having a yarn. All operators are First Nations people trained to support you without judgement and provide a confidential, culturally safe space to yarn about your needs, worries or concerns.

Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression (CRUfAD)

CRUfAD provides online and in-person treatment for anxiety and depression.

HelpGuide

HelpGuide is an international not-for-profit organisation that provides helpful tips for managing mental health and wellness.

The Anxiety Recovery Centre Victoria (ARCVic)

ARCVic offers a range of services for people experiencing anxiety, OCD, depression, and other mental illnesses. They run an OCD and anxiety helpline, which provides support, information and referrals to people with anxiety disorders and their families and carers, as well as to mental health care providers. They are based in Victoria, but the helpline is available to anyone in Australia. ARCVic also runs online and in-person (VIC) anxiety support groups and recovery programs.

Online anxiety and depression support services developed to support recovery

There are a lot of places online that can support you with a variety of strategies for managing symptoms of depression and anxiety. Some suggestions are:

  • MoodGYM is an online cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) program from the Australian National University designed to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.

  • MindSpot is a free, government-funded program that provides online assessment and treatment courses and can also help you find local services.

  • myCompass is an interactive self-help service from the Black Dog Institute. Their online tool helps you to track your moods and build resilience.

  • BITE BACK is Black Dog Institute's free, self-guided online wellbeing and resilience program for young people aged 13–16 years old. Black Dog Institute also has more tools and apps for depression and anxiety that you can explore.

  • This Way Up from CRUfAD delivers a range of clinically-proven courses, including CBT programs for helping with anxiety and depression, general self-help and wellbeing. These can be done with or without a clinician and are available for free or at a low cost.

ReachOut’s Tools and Apps collection has some more suggestions to help you manage depression or anxiety. These have been reviewed by young people and clinical professionals.

If you need help urgently

If you or someone around you is in immediate danger, call 000 or go to an emergency department.

Contact your local crisis assessment treatment team

Another option in a crisis is to contact your local crisis assessment and treatment team. This is a team that provides immediate support during a mental health crisis, and they’re available 24/7:

  • ACT: 1800 629 354 or 02 6205 1065

  • NSW: 1800 011 511

  • NT: 1800 682 288

  • QLD: 1300 MH CALL (1300 64 2255)

  • SA: 13 14 65

  • TAS: 1800 332 388

  • VIC: 1300 874 243

  • WA: Metro 1300 555 788, Peel 1800 676 822, Rural Link 1800 552 002, TTY 1800 720 101.

Emergency support services

If you’re feeling suicidal, unsafe or extremely distressed and need to talk to someone right now, the following services are available 24 hours a day:

  • Beyond Blue: Free phone support 24/7 (1300 22 4636). Free online chat counselling service available 24/7.

  • Kids Helpline: Free phone and online counselling for young people 5–25 years (1800 55 1800).

  • Lifeline: Lifeline’s online chat counselling service is available 24/7. Telephone counselling is available 24/7 (13 11 14).

  • Suicide Call Back Service: Immediate telephone counselling and support in a crisis (1300 659 467).

Visit our urgent help page for more info, including telephone counselling services and helplines.

Want to know more about finding support for depression and anxiety? For answers to your questions, Ask ReachOut.

What can I do now?

  • Check out some things you can do right now to manage symptoms of anxiety and depression. These can be done from home and on your own.

  • Learn more about what anxiety and depression are.

  • If you want to talk to someone now, call a helpline such as Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800).

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        We acknowledge the traditional owners of Country throughout Australia. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and to Elders past and present. We recognise connection to Country as integral to health and wellbeing.

        We acknowledge people with lived experience of mental ill-health and recovery and the experience of people who have been carers, families, or supporters.

        ReachOut values diversity. We are committed to providing a safe, culturally appropriate, and inclusive service for all people, regardless of their ethnicity, faith, disability, sexuality, or gender identity.

              Aboriginal flagTorres Strait islander flagRainbow flagAustralian flag

              We acknowledge the traditional owners of Country throughout Australia. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and to Elders past and present. We recognise connection to Country as integral to health and wellbeing.

              We acknowledge people with lived experience of mental ill-health and recovery and the experience of people who have been carers, families, or supporters.

              ReachOut values diversity. We are committed to providing a safe, culturally appropriate, and inclusive service for all people, regardless of their ethnicity, faith, disability, sexuality, or gender identity.

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