Something is deeply wrong with how we care for Australians living with mental illness.

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Psychiatrists like me, who have worked in this system for many years, have known it for a long time.

But every new report is a painful reminder of how we're standing by while people fall through the ever-widening cracks.

A report by Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) released this morning found some patients with serious mental health conditions are waiting more than 23 hours for a bed in emergency departments.

That's 23 hours of panic, pain and fear, often for someone already in unbearable psychological distress.

Twenty-three hours in a noisy, chaotic emergency department while you are battling symptoms affecting your thoughts, your emotions and at times a sense of reality. Twenty-three hours in crisis.

And for every 40 people presenting in mental health crisis, there is just one suitable bed available.

This is the third major report in a month exposing the collapse of Australia's mental health system. Just weeks ago, the Australian Medical Association revealed record-breaking wait times, with mental health patients facing the longest delays ever recorded.

The Productivity Commission's final review of the Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement released this month also found our mental health system continues to turn its back on those in greatest need.

Sadly, it's happening more than ever. We see it every day.

This isn't just about wait times. It's about a system failing people at their most vulnerable. Mental health care in Australia is underfunded, understaffed and overwhelmed. The gap between what people need and what is available is massive and rapidly........

© Canberra Times