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A high prevalence of mental disorders in adolescents has been reported worldwide, but little is known about mental health literacy in this population, particularly in developing countries. The goal of this study was to evaluate mental health literacy level and help-seeking preferences in high school students in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. These two variables were also compared between students who had stress, anxiety and depression with students who did not. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1094 students across 27 classes at three high schools. Students completed a self-report questionnaire that included validated scales such as the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), the Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS) and the General Help-Seeking Questionnaire. Based on the DASS-21, the prevalence of students reporting symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety was 36.1%, 39.8% and 59.8%, respectively. The mean MHLS score was 104.12 (SD = 10.09) and was significantly lower in students who had symptoms of depression. The most common help-seeking preferences for mental illness were friends, classmates and relatives or family members. Help-seeking preferences were almost identical among students with stress, anxiety or depression. While Vietnamese high school students had high levels of symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety and moderate levels of mental health literacy, non-professionals were preferred as their first help-seeking choice. Our findings revealed the need for routine school-based mental health screening and referral activities as well as mental health education programs for high school students in Vietnam.

Purpose: Falls among inpatients represent a significant global health concern and are among the leading causes of accidental death. However, hospital falls are context- and population dependent. This study aimed to investigate the risk factors contributing to falls and the fall profiles among Vietnamese inpatients. Methods: A nested case–control study was conducted at nine public hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City. For every fall identified through the medical fall incident reporting system, four controls (ie, nonfall patients) were also selected from medical records within the same department and timeframe. Medical records were extracted, which included detailed information about the falls. Results: Among 101 fall cases and 404 nonfall controls, several risk factors for falls were found, including reduced strength and mobility (OR=3.08, 95% 1.30– 7.30), nocturia (OR=9.08, 95% CI 4.04– 20.45), having more than two diseases (OR=2.76, 95% CI 1.53– 4.98), using walking aids (OR=23.26, 95% CI 10.20– 53.03), using medical devices (OR=3.44, 95% CI 1.92– 6.15) and using antiepileptics (OR=3.94, 95% CI 1.22– 12.77). About 19.8% of the falls occurred within the first 24 hours from admission and the most common time of falls was from 0:00 am to 5:59 am (44.6%). The patient bed and bathroom were the most frequent locations for falls, accounting for 44.55% and 37.62% of the cases, respectively. More than 40% of the falls occurred when the patients were with their personal caregivers. Conclusion: Although intervention programs can use these risk factors to target those who have a high risk of falling, to optimize resources, such programs should consider the fall patterns found in our study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Immunization is the most cost-effective health strategy, contributing significantly to public health interventions for all ages, particularly for children. However, caregivers' satisfaction with immunization systems affects their decisions on immunization for their children. This study evaluated the levels of clients' satisfaction toward child immunization and to identify its associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at 40 commune health centers (CHCs) in 24 districts in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam among 1200 caregivers of children aged under 5 years. Clients who took their children to CHCs for immunization were recruited based on convenience sampling technique and were asked to complete a self-report questionnaire. Satisfaction was measured using the Satisfaction with Immunization Service Questionnaire (SWISQ). Ordinal logistic regression models were fitted to identify factors associated with satisfaction levels. Results: The majority of participants were female (85.5%) with a mean age of 33.3 (standard deviation = 9.0). Approximately 60% of participants reported a moderate (40.2%) or high (17.1%) level of satisfaction. Participants with older children and those who waited for a longer duration had a lower satisfaction level. In contrast, high satisfaction level was found to be positive associated with being reminded by healthcare workers and the condition of follow-up areas, vaccine storage and the immunization process met participant's need. Conclusion: The level of clients' satisfaction toward child immunization at grassroot healthcare centers in Ho Chi Minh City is relatively low, with 40.2% having moderate satisfaction and 17.1% having high satisfaction. Strategies to improve vaccination programs at CHCs are needed, focusing on clients' experiences at CHCs during vaccination sessions. Further studies are also needed to have an in-depth understanding of more factors affecting satisfaction in this population. [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]

Purpose: Research conducted across different countries has consistently identified non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) to be a common and significant public health problem. This study examined the prevalence, associated factors and functions of NSSI, among a large sample of Vietnamese adolescents. Methods: A total of 1316 high school students (15– 18 years old, 63.3% female) across urban and suburban areas in Ho Chi Minh City, participated in this cross-sectional study. NSSI was assessed by the Functional Assessment of Self-Mutilation. Results: Almost half (43.9%) of the adolescents engaged in at least one type of NSSI within the preceding 12-month period and more than one quarter (26.1%) engaged in multiple types of NSSI. Hitting self on purpose (23.1%), picking at a wound (17.0%), or biting self (16.7%) were the most frequent behaviours. Severe forms of NSSI such as scraping, burning or erasing skin were reported by 17.2%. The most common functions for NSSI were to stop bad feelings (56.0%), to punish self (48.7%), to get control of a situation (44.0%) and to feel relaxed (42.2%). Symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress were significant factors associated with NSSI, particularly for participants who engaged in moderate/severe NSSI and multiple types of NSSI. Conclusion: High rates of NSSI were found in Vietnamese adolescents. There is a pressing need for the development and implementation of effective interventions to reduce NSSI. Strategies that promote positive mental health and reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress as well as approaches that help adolescents manage their internal emotions are likely to be beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study explored job satisfaction and associated factors among community healthcare workers (HCWs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 319 HCWs in charge of infectious disease prevention and control activities at all commune healthcare centers in Ho Chi Minh City. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire which included the 36-item Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS). Results: Most participants were male (56.7%), and the mean age was 34.7 (SD=7.1) years. The overall job satisfaction was relatively low. Among 9 aspects measured, coworker was found to have the highest level of satisfaction (19.6± 3.9), followed by supervision (19.3± 4.1). In contrast, the lowest level of satisfaction was observed in operating condition (11.4± 3.4) and contingent rewards (14.3± 3.8). The total score of the JSS indicated that only half of HCWs were satisfied with their job in general. Older male HCWs who were married and those who had higher income reported a higher level of job satisfaction in several aspects measured. However, there was no association between job satisfaction and other HCW's characteristics, including specialty, occupation type, and working experience. Conclusion: Since this is the crucial workforce in the battle against infectious diseases, urgent interventions are needed to increase job satisfaction in this population. [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]

This study examined the presence of symptoms of mental disorders (SOMD) in 400 Vietnamese people living with HIV (PLHIV) at two HIV outpatient clinics and investigated the relationship between SOMD and stressful life experiences. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire about stressful life experiences during the last 30 days and were interviewed by a psychiatrist. About 43.5% of participants experienced SOMD. Significant associations between SOMD and various types of stressful life experiences were found but were different in males and females. Routine screening of PLHIV for SOMD has the potential to lead to better health outcomes through early referral and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]