Dr. Tran is a pharmacist for the department of veterans affairs. She was kind enough to let me interview her for this project, even providing her own insight into this project. I thank her for taking the time aside to assist me in my research. The following passage is our interview.
1. What is your occupation?
I am a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) at a Phoenix VA Health Care System, specializing in mental
health and behavior sciences.
2. What is your educational background?
I graduated with my Pharmacy Doctorate from University of Arizona College of Pharmacy in 2003,
followed by a year of acute care residency at the Phoenix VA in 2014. I also got my Board Certification
in Pharmacotherapy in 2005 after my residency.
3. What is it you do to help patients with a mental illness? (PTSD, Bipolar Disorder, MDD, schizophrenia, etc.)
I practice in a community based clinic setting seeing veterans with psychiatric diagnoses and helping
them with medication management. I have been working in this capacity since 2005. I work with
veteran with a wide variety of mental illnesses including schizophrenia/psychosis spectrum, MDD,
PTSD/anxiety, Bipolar disorder, substance use disorder.
As a CPS, I work collaboratively with other members of the health care team including psychiatrists,
nurses, psychologists, and social worker to provide comprehensive mental health management. I
focus primarily on the pharmacotherapy component including prescribing psychiatric medications,
monitoring needed safety parameters, chart reviews on the more complicated patients to offer
new/alternative treatment options and medication reconciliation.
4. How are patients with mental illnesses different from patients w/o one. How are they similar?
They are as different as someone who may have a cardiac condition or diabetes. They may have a
chronic illness but for the most part, these patients are working, taking their kids to ball games,
meeting friends for coffee…basically managing their day to day life as any of the other patients. They
just happen to also be dealing with a mental illness.
Of course, there is a small percentage of patients with mental illnesses who may require more
specialized care. Even so, it is important for healthcare providers to not equate mental illnesses with
a lack of understanding in their self-care and to address their medical concerns and needs
appropriately.
5. How effective do you believe the current healthcare system is in treating mental illness?
I have a different perspective working in the VA system as it is a setting that generally recognizes and
encourages Veterans to pursue treatment for mental illnesses and to provide the needed resources.
However, my perception of the general community care is that mental illnesses are often under
recognized and that there may be limited available resources available for treatment and to support the
psychosocial aspects of these patients.
6. According to the World Health Organization, 60% of people with a mental illness worldwide are not receiving
any care. What is your speculation as to why that is?
Unfortunately, mental illnesses still has a “taboo” connotation in a lot of cultures, countries, and in just
the general misunderstanding of mental illnesses in general. These people may not know and/or
recognize mental illnesses and even when they do, they may not know of the available resources for
treatment or if treatment is indicated if you are raised to consider mental illnesses as “something to get
over”.
7. How do negative perceptions of illness affect patients?
The stigma of mental illnesses may prevent patients from seeking treatment or act as a barrier for
families to bring their loved ones in for treatment.
8. Do you believe there is a strong stigma to having a mental illness?
I think traditionally there has always been a strong stigma, especially in certain settings and believes.
However, over the past 10 years and working where I do, I also see a trend of the community’s attempt
to further promote mental health awareness and education.
9. Will being more open about mental health improve their lives?
Yes! The first step is to seek help and to learn about available resources. One of the worst thing that
can happened to people with mental illnesses is to feel like they are alone and I thinking opening up
helps to bring patients out of that sense of isolation.
10. What can we do to change peoples perceptions of people with mental illness?
Education, education, education.
11. Is there anything else about mental health in America I should know about?
I think that previously mental health treatment in the U.S. focuses a lot on the “medical model” which
means giving medications as the only mean to treat mental health illnesses. However, over the years,
there appears to be a greater push to use combination of both psychotherapy AND pharmacotherapy,
as well as addressing psychosocial stressors in mental health treatment. I think this more
comprehensive model is needed and hopefully this will be reflected in the funding and insurance
coverages for mental illnesses.