Conditions we see
If you've tried treatment for depression and you're still not well, a psychiatrist can go back over the whole picture with you and write a plan your GP can follow.
In plain words
Depression is a common health condition in which low mood, loss of interest and other symptoms are more intense than everyday sadness, last two weeks or more and get in the way of daily life. It is usually treated with psychological therapy, medication, or both, and it can take time and some adjustment to find what helps.
When depression has not improved enough after treatments have been given a fair trial, doctors sometimes describe it as treatment-resistant or difficult-to-treat depression. There is no single agreed definition, and the term describes how treatment has gone so far rather than anything about you.
This is general information, not a diagnosis. Source: Healthdirect: Depression.
When to ask
Your GP can manage a lot of depression well, often together with a psychologist. A psychiatrist review is worth raising with your GP in situations like these.
What we add
Before anyone decides what to try next, the psychiatrist goes back over what has already happened, because the detail often matters more than the list.
We cannot promise a particular result. What we can offer is a careful specialist review and a written plan that you and your GP can act on.
Related services: Second opinion, Medication review
Your first appointment
The review is only as good as the history it works from, so it helps to gather what you can beforehand. The most useful thing is a list of every treatment you have tried for depression, roughly when you started and stopped each one, the highest dose you reached, and why it ended, whether that was side effects, no change or something else.
If your own records are patchy, your pharmacy may be able to print your dispensing history. Bring letters from psychiatrists, psychologists or hospital stays, and recent blood test results if your GP has them. Keep taking your current medicine as prescribed until the psychiatrist has seen you.
Referral and scope
Ask your GP to list the treatments you have already tried in the referral, even briefly, because that history shapes the whole review.
Your GP will find the steps on how to refer. To check we're the right fit, send a short enquiry and leave clinical details out.
We don’t provide hospital-based treatment. If the options worth considering include one that is offered elsewhere, the psychiatrist’s letter says so, and your GP can arrange that step with you. Everything we see and don't see is listed on our page for referrers.
Outcome Health Psychiatry & Mental Health Services is a private service and is not a crisis service. If you need help now, call 000 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Fees
A second look is usually a single review with a written plan for your GP. Where changes to treatment need closer specialist follow-up, longer reviews let the psychiatrist check how each change is going.
Medicare rebates are estimates only and depend on referral type, eligibility, consultation duration, the item actually billed and the psychiatrist’s clinical judgement. The Medicare Safety Net, DVA arrangements, third-party funding, payment processing fees and cancellation fees are not included in the gap estimates.
Payment is required in advance for all appointments. The full schedule, including every item, is on our fees and FAQ page.
Questions
No. Please keep taking your medication as prescribed and do not change anything before you are seen. The psychiatrist reviews what you are taking, and any changes are planned with you and your GP.
In practice, yes. Most people come to us after treatment through their GP or another clinician. If you and your GP only want a one-off opinion and plan, your GP continues your care with our written recommendations.
Please see your GP, who can review your treatment in the meantime. If you are thinking about suicide or feel unsafe, call 000, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or go to your nearest emergency department.
A one-off review with a written plan for your GP is item A1, $1,000, with an estimated out-of-pocket cost of about $530 after the Medicare rebate. If the psychiatrist stays involved while changes are made, longer follow-ups (A4) are $500 each. Medicare rebates vary, so treat the gap as a guide, and payment is taken in advance.
Resources
Conditions we treat · June 2026
Most adults who experience one will experience the other. Here is a plain-language look at what your GP can manage, what changes when a psychiatrist is involved, and how to know when it is worth asking for a referral.
For patients · June 2026
Adult psychiatry waitlists in Victoria can be long. Here is what is realistic to expect, what you can do in the meantime, and how to make the most of your first appointment when it arrives.
For GPs · June 2026
What to send, when to refer, what your patient experiences, and how shared care works. A two-minute read for GPs considering a referral to our clinic.
