TRENDS
CRISIS SUPPORT Why every pharmacist should take mental health first aid
I
n the United States, one in five people suffer from a mental illness.
Nearly half of Americans will experience a mental health crisis in
their lifetime. And if those numbers aren’t troubling enough, less than half of the people who had a mental disorder in the past year received professional help.
These were the statistics before a pandemic swept through
the country and upended all facets of life, including vital social connections and access to care. In August of 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the number of people with an adverse mental health condition doubled from 20 percent to 40 percent, mainly driven by rising rates of depression and trauma.
Pharmacists aren’t the first professionals that come to mind
when thinking of mental health issues. But they are uniquely positioned to benefit those in need, particularly the 55 percent who never seek care. "Pharmacists have more eyes on patients than any other healthcare provider," said Hannah Fish, PharmD, director of strategic initiatives at the National Community Pharmacist
providing support for someone who might be undergoing an acute
Association (NCPA). "They are going to notice changes in their
mental health crisis, in which case they need to be referred to
patients because they're seeing them more often and because
additional help," Fish explained.
of their highly trained medical background. They are that perfect
bridge to open the door for a patient to talk to someone and get
You see a person collapse with a heart attack, you try to resuscitate
the level of referral that's needed."
until the ambulance arrives and takes over. Much the same,
you see a patient hyperventilate from a panic attack during an
The way for pharmacists to be the bridge, Fish said, is to take
While CPR is triage for the body, MHFA is triage for the mind.
the national Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training, an eight-
immunization, you support them during the crisis, and then direct
hour course on how to identify and respond to signs of mental
them to professional care.
illnesses and provide initial help and support to someone who may
be developing a mental health problem or experiencing a crisis.
say they have encountered the opportunity to provide mental
In Bishop’s experience as a certified MHFA trainer, pharmacists
"Look for a course, then get trained and train your staff," she said.
health first aid far more often than CPR. And Bishop has personally
"The skills are crucial right now, especially during this time when
found almost no limit to the applications of the training in his
everyone is at their wits' end and probably experiencing some sort
pharmacy. "There are examples every week I could go through. I
of mental health problem."
use parts of it every single day."
When Clark Bishop, pharmacist and owner of five independent
Bishop has trained his staff in MHFA at all five of his
pharmacies, attended the training for the first time, it turned his
pharmacies, teaching them how to have conversations with
worldview upside down. Like many others who have taken the
patients and recognize needs. "We’re arguably the most accessible
training, he discovered how much of his thinking had been driven
healthcare provider," he said. "Someone can walk into our
by social stigma and misunderstandings. "It dispels a lot of the
pharmacy and visit with a staff member when they’re struggling,
misconceptions of the common person," he said. "It’s a complete
and we can use our tool to help them."
change of how you treat mental health issues."
The tool Bishop refers to is ALGEE, an acronym for a series of
actions to perform when you encounter someone developing or PHARMACY’S ROLE IN MENTAL HEALTH
experiencing a mental health crisis. The gist is to approach them
Pharmacists aren’t expected to provide mental health services, or
and assess their health, listen nonjudgmentally, and encourage
to even diagnose mental health illnesses. "It’s really more about
them to get help. Fortified with the knowledge from the in-depth
8
pbahealth.com/elements
