Mental health is one of the biggest issues for Hack listeners - it rates second only to climate change and the environment in terms of importance. But despite mental health concerns being the number one reason people visit the GP, it hasn't gotten a whole lot of attention during this election campaign.

That's partly because mental health is a shared responsibility between the states and territories and the Federal Government. Which means that the support you get may vary depending on where you live.

But it's also because mental health funding is super confusing. So we've broken it down for you to give you an idea of where the major parties stand on the issue.

Medicare-supported sessions

Under the current Better Access System, people who get a mental health plan from their GP are entitled to up to ten Medicare-subsidised sessions with a single mental health professional like a psychologist or psychiatrist.

While ten sessions a year might be enough for people with mild or episodic illness, for many others that number is simply not enough.

The Coalition said it will increase the number of subsidised sessions if the Medicare taskforce - the body made up of doctors and experts that looks into changes in the Medicare system - recommends an increase.

Labor didn't commit to a definite increase if the taskforce recommended it, but said it would look "very seriously" at the recommendation.

Headspace

Headspace received a massive funding injection in the last budget. $111 million to build an extra 30 centres, taking their total to 145 around the country by 2021, another $152 million to reduce wait times at existing centres, and a further $110 million to continue the specialist Early Psychosis Youth Services Program at 14 of its centres.

All up the Coalition promised Headspace $373 million over five years.

That budget was a Coalition budget, but Labor's onboard with increasing funding to Headspace. It's announced funding for new centres in rural and regional areas, and wants to create a new Headspace Plus model for people with moderate and complex illness.

Under that $200 million commitment, Labor will build three new Headspace Plus centres in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and trial a new site in Tasmania. People who use the Headspace Plus services will be able to access an additional 20 Medicare-supported Better Access sessions.

Indigenous and community-specific programs

Young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men have the highest suicide rate in the world. The Coalition has committed nearly $28 million to Indigenous-specific suicide prevention strategies, and has promised to create a new position - a special advisor on suicide prevention - to tackle the issue.

Labor has promised more than $20 million for Indigenous-specific policies, which it said would be led by Aboriginal controlled community health organisations and Aboriginal medical services.

The Greens want to spend nearly $500 million over the next few years on community outreach programs that would intervene to help community members who are at-risk of suicide. These programs would include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander outreach programs.

There are also measures to help people with a lived experience of mental health concerns to share their stories.

The Coalition has set aside $2 million for Youth Ambassadors for Mental Health, that would operate via Headspace, while the Greens want to fund 1,000 peer support workers at a cost of $166 million. Those peer workers would include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers for culturally-appropriate support.

All three major parties want money set aside for data collection so experts can gauge the scope of suicide and mental health concerns in the community.

Eating disorders

Late last year, the Coalition announced changes to the way eating disorders are treated through the public system. Under the changes, people living with an eating disorder can now get 40 Medicare-subsidised sessions with a counsellor, psychologist or psychiatrist, and an additional 20 subsidised sessions with a dietician. These changes were recommended by the Medicare taskforce.

Labor has committed to keeping the Coalition's changes if it wins office. On top of that, they want a new $20 million national eating disorder and body image plan, and an extra $500,000 for the Butterfly Foundation to set up school guidelines on body image.