Perceptions of mental health and mental health services among college students in Vietnam and the United States.

Perceptions of mental health and mental health services among college students in Vietnam and the United States. Asian J Psychiatr. 2018 Jul 27;37:15-19 Authors: Kamimura A, Trinh HN, Johansen M, Hurley J, Pye M, Sin K, Nguyen H Abstract The global burden of mental health disorders is a significant public health issue. One population that has a risk for mental health issues is college students. Little is known about perceptions of mental illness and mental health services among college students in Vietnam. The purpose of this study is to describe perceptions of mental illness and mental health services among college students in Vietnam, and to compare them with those in the United States (US). The cross-sectional data were collected using a self-administered survey from January to March in 2018 at a national university in Vietnam, and a state university in the US. The study revealed differences in perceptions of causes of mental health between Vietnamese and US participants. Vietnamese participants tended to believe that individuals with mental illness were dangerous and need to be kept out from the community, while US participants perceived that mental illnesses are the same as other illnesses. An important indicator of Vietnamese perceptions of mental health was the low likelihood of seeking formal help because of preference for seeking help from family or friends for mental illness. Interventions, such as mental health awareness c...
Source: Asian Journal of Psychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Tags: Asian J Psychiatr Source Type: research