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Anxiety and depression can make it hard to leave the house, see friends or join in anything at all. For some people these conditions are part of a psychosocial disability, and NDIS psychosocial supports can help with getting back into community life. This guide covers who can get NDIS support, what the health system covers instead, the supports that can help and what changed in October 2026.
Psychosocial disability and the NDIS
Not everyone with anxiety or depression is eligible for the NDIS. To get access for a psychosocial disability, you need an impairment that is, or is likely to be, permanent and that substantially reduces your functional capacity. Access is about how the condition affects your day-to-day life, not the diagnosis alone. The NDIA explains this in its psychosocial disability access factsheet.
The rules for new applicants are changing. From 1 January 2028, access changes include a functional capacity assessment and tests of permanence and treatability, as set out on the Government’s Securing the NDIS page.
What the health system covers instead
Clinical mental health treatment and clinical rehabilitation are generally not NDIS supports under the NDIS Supports Transitional Rules 2024. They sit with the health system. Your GP or mental health professional is the place to start for treatment, and they can also tell you what community programs might suit you.
The NDIS focuses on the disability side: support to do everyday things and take part in community life when a psychosocial disability makes that hard.
How anxiety and depression can affect getting out
People describe the effect on social life in different ways. Four patterns come up often.
- Pulling back. Social plans can start to feel like too much, so people stop going.
- Low motivation. Things that used to be enjoyable can be hard to start.
- Fear of judgement. A sense of being watched or judged can make a group setting feel overwhelming.
- Feeling cut off. Over time, a person can feel disconnected from people and interests they once shared.
Naming what gets in the way is a useful first step when you talk with your support team about which supports would help.
Supports that can help
An NDIS plan can include several kinds of support for community participation. Each sits in a different part of the plan.
Recovery coach
A recovery coach works with people with psychosocial disability to build capacity and resilience, find, plan and organise supports, and keep things going through harder periods. Recovery coaching is funded in the capacity building budget. The NDIA describes the role on its page about recovery coaches.
Support worker for social and community participation
Assistance with social and community participation is a category in the core supports budget. It can fund a support worker to help you get to and take part in activities.
Building skills to take part
Increased social and community participation is a capacity building category. It funds supports that build your skills and confidence to join in, rather than help on the day.
Provider24 lists psychosocial support providers and providers of social and community participation supports.
What changed on 1 October 2026
Social, economic and community participation supports are reduced by 50% as plans are created, reassessed or renewed between 1 October 2026 and 30 September 2027. These supports were previously called social, civic and community participation supports. Other parts of plans are not affected, and participants with high support needs who have 24-hour supports can request a plan variation.
The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing sets this out in its funding changes factsheet. If your plan is due for reassessment or renewal, it is worth asking your my NDIS contact how the change applies to you.
Activity ideas
Community participation looks different for everyone. Some common starting points:
- Peer support groups, where people share experiences with others in a similar situation.
- Creative groups, such as art classes, music groups or writing workshops.
- Group exercise or sport, including walking groups and outdoor activities.
- Volunteering with a community project.
The costs of the activity itself, such as memberships, entry fees and general recreation costs, are generally not NDIS supports. NDIS funding is for the disability support you need to take part. For a longer list, read the Provider24 guide to NDIS community participation activities.
Provider24 lists psychosocial support providers and recovery coaches, so you can see who works in your state and get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
What are the NDIS criteria for psychosocial disability?
You need a psychosocial disability caused by an impairment that is, or is likely to be, permanent and that substantially reduces your functional capacity. The NDIA looks at how the condition affects your daily life, not only the diagnosis.
What disabilities fall under psychosocial?
Psychosocial disability describes the disability that can come from a mental health condition. It is defined by the impact on a person’s ability to take part in daily life, so the same diagnosis can affect two people very differently.
Can you get the NDIS for depression or anxiety?
Some people can. A diagnosis of depression or anxiety on its own is not enough. You need to meet the access criteria, including a permanent or likely permanent impairment that substantially reduces your functional capacity.
What does an NDIS recovery coach do?
A recovery coach works with people with psychosocial disability to build capacity and resilience, find, plan and organise supports, and keep things on track through times when more support is needed. It is a capacity building support.
Last updated October 2026.
General information, not advice. NDIS rules are changing on a published timeline, so check ndis.gov.au or speak with your my NDIS contact about your own plan.