Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data released on Thursday also showed national spending on mental health services will soon reach $10 billion a year.

State, territory and federal governments spent $9.9 billion on mental health services in 2017/18.

An average of $400 per person was spent on mental health services in 2017/18, up from $382 in 2013/14.

The number of people using Medicare-subsidised services has doubled over the decade, from 5.7 per cent in 2008-09 to 10.6 per cent in 2018-19.

Thursday's data also showed 17.1 per cent of Australians received mental health-related prescriptions, with the majority of those antidepressants.

Women were more likely to access mental health services than men.

The farther Australians lived from metropolitan areas, the less likely they were to access mental health services.

Funding for mental health mainly came from state and territory governments, who chipped in 60.6 per cent of the $9.9 billion in 2017/18.

The federal government made up 33.9 per cent of mental health spending, with private health insurance funds accounting for the last 5.5 per cent.

Secluding patients has also became a less common practice over the decade leading up to 2018/19, while use of physical and mechanical restraint had remained stable between 2015/16 and 2018/19.

Australian Associated Press