Local GPs, social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists are seeing the local impact of increased patient demand across the country, most seriously through unprecedented wait lists.

Blamey Street Surgery principal GP Dr Rachel Glasson said the demand for mental health care has "skyrocketed" in the last two years.

"Unfortunately, the resources we do have are stretched quite thin now. A lot of places have either closed their books or are struggling to cope," she said.

An Australian Psychology Society (APS) survey conducted in February found that one-in-three Australian psychologists have closed their books.

This figure is up from a similar July 2021 study which found that one-in-five were no longer taking on new clients, up dramatically from one-in-100 prior to the pandemic.

According to numbers from the APS, psychologists around Australia are also working on average an extra 17 unpaid hours a week.

Dr Glasson has a special interest in mental health, having also worked with the local headspace office for the last nine years.

In the current crisis, the Wagga GP said she will at times personally ring around to local practices and "pull some strings" for patients in an acute state rather than provide a generic referral.

"I saw a patient [last Thursday] who'd been referred to someone specific in town and they were told there was a three-to-four month wait," she said.

"The problem you get there is if you don't engage and strike when the iron's hot or if a person comes in crisis and you can't offer them an appointment for 12 weeks, the crisis may have passed or they may have disengaged, or worse things might have happened by the time they can get in to see somebody."

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Riverina Therapeutic Health mental health social worker Katie Murrell-Orgill has encountered similar challenges, with current wait times of one-to-two months at her private practice.

She said not being able to provide immediate care for patients has been extremely difficult for local clinicians.

"The reason we do this job is because we want to support people in the community," she said.

"And to know we've got people waiting who need that support places a lot of stress and pressure on the clinicians.

"I often try to do what's called an intake session on the phone where I have a bit of a chat with them and give them some strategies to help them cope whilst they're waiting and give them some support lines."

While Ms Murrell-Orgill said she has seen some colleagues with months-long wait lists or closed books, she stressed that people should not be discouraged.

"Don't get put off by hearing wait list, just make sure you call around and ask for that support," she said.

"Ring around, ask everybody what their wait times are and get yourself on the wait list because often there are cancellations."

If you or someone you know needs help, contact: Lifeline on 13 11 14, Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or the Murrumbidgee Local Health District AccessLine on 1800 800 944.

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