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To date, little are known about HIV-related stigma, symptoms of depression (SOD) and suicidal ideation among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Vietnam. This study aimed to estimate the level of stigma, SOD and suicidal ideation and to explore the direction and magnitude of the relationship between stigma, SOD and suicidal ideation among Vietnamese PLHIV. A cross-sectional study was conducted in four outpatient clinics providing healthcare services including antiretroviral therapy (ART) for PLHIV in Ho Chi Minh City. At each clinic, patients were chosen using the systematic sampling technique. Participants underwent face-to-face interviews through a pre-defined structural questionnaire that included validated scales. Among 777 PLHIV in the analysis, most were male (81.1%) and the average age was 34.3 (SD = 8.8) years. Two-thirds of PLHIV had a moderate-to-high level of HIV stigma. Symptoms of depression were identified in 41.4% of PLHIV. Suicidal ideation was reported by 26.3% of PLHIV. Based on univariate and multivariate logistic regression, higher levels of SOD and HIV stigma were positively associated with suicidal ideation. For PLHIV with extreme stigma and SOD, the probability of having suicidal ideation was up to 80%. The prevalence and association found in this study indicates that interventions for SOD and stigma not only help reduce these two problems but also help address and minimize suicidal ideation in this vulnerable population. In Vietnam, to optimize such interventions, the involvement of families and communities is crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medication adherence has become a major concern in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) worldwide, but little is known about this in Vietnam. This study aimed to identify adherence level among outpatients at district clinics in Vietnam. A cross-sectional study of 450 MMT outpatients was conducted at three clinics in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). Participants underwent face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. Adherence was measured based on both the number of doses missed under Vietnam Ministry of Health criteria and the level of perceived adherence using a visual analogue scale. The prevalence of adherence based on these measures was 61.8% and 80.9%, respectively. Significantly higher level of adherence was found in young participants who had used drug for a longer period of time, had comorbidity, were on antiretroviral therapy and satisfied with MMT service time. However, lower odds of adhering to MMT were found in participants with higher educational level who were married, spent more than 30 min to go to the clinic and currently used illicit drug. In conclusion, despite a relatively high prevalence of adherence, there were a large number of MMT non-adherence patients in HCMC. Interventions are needed to improve adherence and to enhance MMT programmes in Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental disorders in adolescents are a major emerging public health challenge. Gifted students may experience more stress, anxiety, and adjustment problems than non-gifted students due to several reasons. This study investigated the prevalence of stress, coping strategies, and their association in high school gifted students. A cross-sectional study among 535 students from Le Hong Phong high school for the gifted was conducted. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire containing questions about background information, the Perceived Stress Scale to assess stress perception, and the Coping Strategies Inventory to evaluate coping strategies. Among 500 completed questionnaires included in the analysis, the prevalence of perceived stress was 28.4%, including 21.4% moderate stress and 7.0% severe stress. Problem solving was the most preferred strategy (2.6 ± 0.6), followed by wishful thinking (2.5 ± 0.9) and cognitive restructuring (2.4 ± 0.7). Students who had higher level of stress, experienced excessive parental control or parental aspiration for their academic performance were more likely to have disengagement strategies such as wishful thinking, social withdrawal, and self-criticism. In contrast, higher likelihood of having engagement coping strategies was found in students who had good relationship with teachers and peers and those who joined extracurricular activities. In overall, the prevalence of perceived stress in Vietnamese high school gifted students was high, but not all students chose proper stress coping strategies. School-based routine screening and intervention should be conducted, focusing on providing students with proper stress coping strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated whether screening for symptoms of mental disorders and referral to mental health services was associated with decreased depression symptoms among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) in Vietnam. Four hundred PLHIV (63.5% male, mean age 34.8 (SD = 6.8) years) at two outpatient clinics in Ho Chi Minh City were interviewed by psychiatrists and also completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies–Depression scale (CES-D). One hundred and seventy-four (43.5%) were identified with symptoms of a range of mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety, alcohol use disorder, substance use disorder and HIV associated dementia and were referred to mental health services. Of the 174 PLHIV referred, 162 (93%) returned and completed the CES-D three months later and 125 of these 162 (77%) had attended a mental health service and undertaken treatment. A significant improvement was found in the mean CES-D scores of the 125 attenders from baseline (M = 19.0, SD = 7.5) to month three (M = 11.7, SD = 7.9, p < 0.001). PLHIV who had attended a mental health service and undertaken treatment demonstrated a greater reduction of mean scores on the CES-D compared to PLHIV who had either received a referral but not attended a mental health service to undertake treatment, or not been referred initially. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]