Vietnamese professor builds mental health bridges between Germany and Vietnam

From a clinic helping overseas Vietnamese access mental healthcare in their native language, Professor Doctor Ta Thi Minh Tam and her colleagues have step by step built a mental health treatment network, connecting research in psychiatry and psychotherapy with medical training institutions in Vietnam.

For nearly 16 years, that journey has evolved from direct treatment to psychological counseling, digital therapy, artificial intelligence (AI), research efforts to reduce stigma, and support for the mental health professionals themselves.

Earlier, in 2006, Doctor Ta Thi Minh Tam went to Germany to learn about the healthcare system and pursue her doctoral dissertation. Her goal was to accumulate professional expertise to contribute to improving mental healthcare in Vietnam.

In 2010, after two years of preparation, the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at Charite Berlin University Hospital opened a specialized outpatient clinic for Vietnamese immigrants. This was the first facility in Germany to provide this specialized service for the Vietnamese community. Those with limited German language skills or who were hesitant to access the local medical system could receive diagnosis, counseling, and treatment in Vietnamese, while receiving support better tailored to cultural differences.

From the practical needs of the Vietnamese community in Berlin, Doctor Ta Thi Minh Tam's work gradually expanded into researching the impacts of migration, culture, and integration on mental health.

In April 2024, Germany's official foreign information portal Deutschland.de featured Doctor Ta Thi Minh Tam in an article titled "A doctor without borders", as part of a series on individuals contributing to connecting Germany with the world.

According to a profile released by Charite Berlin University Hospital in October 2025, Professor Doctor Ta Thi Minh Tam is a senior physician in psychiatry and psychotherapy, with professional specializations including women's mental health, gender-sensitive care, maternal mental health, and global mental health.

She was confirmed by the hospital as the first Vietnamese professor in this field in Germany, and is also an Honorary Professor of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at Hanoi Medical University.

On May 28, the International and Global Mental Health Research Group at Charite Berlin University Hospital, led by Professor Doctor Ta Thi Minh Tam, organized a scientific workshop on women's mental health. The content focused on the perinatal period, preventive measures, and the practical application of research findings.

The event was part of a cooperative project between Charite Berlin University Hospital and the National University of Singapore. Beside treatment and research on patients, another area of focus for the team is the health of mental healthcare professionals themselves.

A study co-authored by Professor Doctor Ta Thi Minh Tam, published in the journal Scientific Reports (UK) on July 28, showed that regarding mental health, staff members with a migration background recorded higher levels of secondary traumatic stress and lower levels of compassion satisfaction compared to those without a migration background.

Meanwhile, the study recorded no significant difference between the two groups regarding occupational burnout. The research team did not attribute these differences directly to the migration experience, but the results indicate a need to build a more inclusive working environment while strengthening social and professional support networks tailored to people with a migration background.

In international cooperation activities, Professor Doctor Ta Thi Minh Tam emphasizes two-way engagement and long-term commitment between institutions and professional teams. According to Charite Berlin University Hospital, Vietnamese and German partners continue to collaborate on developing digital psychotherapy programs, AI-supported multilingual tools, professional training programs, and therapy models adapted to local conditions and cultures.