Clive Kempson met with plenty of medical professionals during the weeks he spent in a rehabilitation centre after experiencing a stroke.
There were experts at hand to help the Melbourne man learn how to walk again, regain movement in his arm and deal with speech issues.
But something was missing.
"At no point did anyone say do you want to speak to a counsellor, or a psychologist," Mr Kempson told AAP.
That's an offer the now 54-year-old wishes had been made, given he spent several months after being discharged from a rehabilitation centre in December 2015 struggling with his mental health.
Coming to terms with a new lack of independence, including an inability to drive, was among factors that made life challenging.
He wasn't accustomed to asking for support and was tough on himself when he couldn't do what he used to, with his thoughts soon turning dark and his then-marriage put under strain.
It was not until his occupational therapist suggested he see a psychologist that he did so and kicked off a process that turned things around.
"Accepting what had happened and that it was never going to go back to the way it was, was probably the biggest hurdle," he said.
"Once I'd got myself to a point where I could actually look forward...that's when my mental state sort of took a turn and we were in a better position then."
According to a national annual audit of stroke rehabilitation services by the Stroke Foundation, Mr Kempson's experience is not unique.
The data, published on Friday, has found a third of rehabilitation services don't have access to clinical or neuro psychologists, and one-in-three don't assess people for depression or anxiety.
That's despite half of those who have experienced a stroke reporting problems with their mood.
Stroke Foundation clinical advisor Natasha Lannin says the system is designed to focus on physical issues such as learning to walk and talk, and while that's important, it is not the whole picture.
"Families are suffering because stroke survivors are being denied the specialist mental health assessment, information and care they need to maximise their recovery," Associate Professor Lannin said.
The audit of 120 rehabilitation services in Australia found just four achieved all 10 elements of a best practice framework.
But about a fifth of services met less than half of the elements.
The Stroke Foundation is calling on clinicians, healthcare administrators and governments to work together to improve the quality of care provided.
"We know what world-class stroke care looks like, now we must ensure all Australian stroke patients have access to it," foundation chief executive Sharon McGowan said.
There are 56,000 strokes experienced in Australia each year.
Australian Associated Press
