Thi Minh Le

Background: Violence against children is a population-level public health problem in Vietnam, and schools are increasingly tasked with detecting it; yet detection protects a child only if it leads to services. In an earlier phase of this research, about one-third of Vietnamese adolescents who had experienced physical abuse had told someone, yet only 2.95% had told a formal recipient (a teacher, school counsellor, school social worker, or health worker). The problem therefore lies at the formal output of the system, not in children’s silence. This study maps post-screening service gaps in the national child-protection system and analyzes students’ trust as the mechanism linking those gaps to disclosure and help-seeking, read against the 2025 administrative reform. Methods: In a convergent design, we combined a national desk review of the child-protection and mental-health service system with a qualitative study comprising 25 in-depth interviews and 16 focus group discussions with teachers and students in eight lower-secondary schools in Bac Giang province (December 2023–March 2024). The qualitative strand illustrates mechanisms rather than representing the national population. Results: The desk review shows that the chain of screening, referral, and support breaks or weakens at each major link, that the only near-universal formal channel is the national child helpline, and that coordination is dispersed across ministries operating different management models. In the interviews, students trusted individuals — mainly peers and friends — more than institutions, and disclosures that went unanswered left institutional trust unreinforced. Because no non-stigmatizing mental-health service existed locally, a referral led only to the stigmatized provincial psychiatric hospital, so students avoided the “mental” label rather than take up help. Conclusion: The 2025 reform weakened coordination in the short term but could, if implemented well, embed social-work services within the health system. These findings suggest that screening should be expanded only alongside the services to which children can be referred. To our knowledge, this is the first study to map the post-screening gap in Vietnam and tie it to institutional trust. The findings are relevant to Sustainable Development Goal 3 (good health and well-being) and Goal 10 (reduced inequalities).

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a growing health problem in Vietnam, affecting approximately 10% of the population, many of whom require hemodialysis. There is a limited intervention to support these patients, so a brief self-management intervention using the teach-back method has been developed. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of a health education program on hemodialysis patients. A single-group pre- & post-test intervention design was used to recruit 100 dialysis patients aged ≥ 18. The intervention involved face-to-face education using the teach-back method and a dialysis care booklet. Linear mixed-effect models assessed the usefulness of kidney disease knowledge, arteriovenous shunt self-care, and hemodialysis self-management behaviors at Week 0 (baseline) and Week 12. All 100 participants (mean age = 43.8 years, 61% female) completed the study. After 12 weeks, significant improvements were observed in kidney disease knowledge, arteriovenous shunt self-care, and two self-management domains. However, problem-solving and emotional management domains did not significantly improve, warranting further educational content consolidation to improve these areas. A brief and low-cost nurse-led self-management program successfully improves patients’ understanding of kidney disease and promotes self-management behaviors. Additional content focusing on problem-solving and emotional management is recommended to provide comprehensive support for individuals undergoing hemodialysis. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12882-026-04871-8.

Background: Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) pose rising challenges to health systems across low- and middle-income countries. In Vietnam, chronic disease care remains concentrated in public facilities that struggle with limited capacity. This study examines how private healthcare providers are addressing service delivery gaps in the prevention, management, and treatment of NCDs. Methods: Drawing on 21 semistructured interviews with health professionals specialized in NCDs prevention, management, and treatment, as well as patients living with chronic conditions, we undertook a thematic analysis informed by the political socioeconomic context of Vietnam. Results: Both health providers and patients perceived that NCD prevention and treatment at the primary care levels of the public health system fall short of quality expectations. Contributing factors include a shortage of adequately trained medical staff, insufficient medical materials and essential drugs, and weak coordination and integration between primary healthcare and other levels of the system and vice versa. Patients reported disengagement from local health centers, often citing long wait times, fragmented follow-up, and lack of personal communication. In contrast, private providers were perceived to deliver more patient-centered care, offering flexible access, consistent follow-up, tailored guidance, and responsive communication. Many patients described a sense of partnership and trust with private physicians, which enhanced their engagement in treatment decisions and ongoing disease management. Private providers also filled critical gaps in medications and diagnostics and facilitated referrals across sectors, helping patients navigate system fragmentation. Conclusion: This study highlights how private providers are helping mitigate structural deficits in primary care of NCD in Vietnam. These findings underscore the importance of a coordinated governance approach that incorporates both sectors for building an equitable and effective NCD care.

Suy giãn tĩnh mạch chi dưới là bệnh lý phổ biến, ảnh hưởng đến chất lượng cuộc sống của người bệnh. Can thiệp Laser nội mạch là phương pháp điều trị mới, ít xâm lấn giúp cải thiện chất lượng cuộc sống cho người bệnh. Nghiên cứu thực hiện đánh giá chất lượng cuộc sống của 81 bệnh nhân suy giãn tĩnh mạch chi dưới điều trị tại Bệnh viện Thành phố Thủ Đức từ tháng 7/2023 đến tháng 7/2024 ở hai thời điểm trước và sau can thiệp điều trị Laser nội mạch 1 tháng. Sử dụng bộ công cụ CIVIQ-20 đã chuẩn hóa để đánh giá chất lượng cuộc sống người bệnh suy tĩnh mạch chi dưới. Tuổi trung bình 54,9 ± 12 tuổi, 70% nữ giới. Điểm CIVIQ-20 trung bình giảm từ 61,2 ở thời điểm chưa điều trị xuống 37,6 (p < 0,001) ở thời điểm sau can thiệp điều trị Laser 1 tháng. Tương ứng chỉ số chất lượng cuộc sống tăng từ 48,9 lên 70,5 (p < 0,001) ở những bệnh nhân sử dụng can thiệp điều trị này.

Mục tiêu: Mô tả kết quả sàng lọc lo âu, trầm cảm, stress bằng DASS-21 ở học sinh trung học phổ thông Long Bình, tỉnh An Giang năm 2024. Đối tượng và phương pháp nghiên cứu: Nghiên cứu cắt ngang, sử dụng thang đánh giá DASS-21 sàng lọc dấu hiệu lo âu, trầm cảm, stress cho 366 học sinh trung học phổ thông Long Bình, tỉnh An Giang vào tháng 06/2024. Kết quả: học sinh có dấu hiệu lo âu là 61,2% (mức độ nhẹ là 9,3%, mức độ vừa là 24,0%, mức độ nặng là 12,6% và rất nặng là 15,3%). Học sinh có dấu hiệu trầm cảm là 47,3% (mức độ nhẹ là 15,8%, mức độ vừa là 18,0%, mức độ nặng là 8,5% và rất nặng là 4,9%). Học sinh có dấu hiệu stress là 38,0% (mức độ nhẹ là 12,8%, mức độ vừa là 16,4%, mức độ nặng là 11,5% và rất nặng là 4,9%). Có 28,1% học sinh không có biểu hiện stress, lo âu, trầm cảm; 24,6% học sinh có 1 biểu hiện; 20,0% học sinh có 2 biểu hiện và 27,3% học sinh có cả 3 biểu hiện stress, lo âu, trầm cảm. Kết luận: Các biểu hiện lo âu, trầm cảm, stress ở học sinh trung học khá phổ biến nhưng chủ yếu ở mức độ vừa và nhẹ. Cần có sự quan tâm đúng mức hơn trong công tác chăm sóc sức khoẻ tâm thần cho các học sinh trung học.

Introduction: Child abuse and neglect are serious issues in both low-to-middle and high-income countries. Victims face significant short-term and long-term developmental prob-lems, and the economic impact on society is substantial due to productivity losses and high costs in health care and social services. In Switzerland, around one in six adolescents expe-rienced some form of child abuse or neglect last year, while in Vietnam, this number is esti-mated to be about 50%. Despite these high rates, many victims, especially in Vietnam, do not receive professional help. A significant challenge in addressing child maltreatment is that many victims do not disclose their experiences, often due to lack of trust in available support systems. School personnel, such as teachers and social workers, can play a crucial role in identifying and supporting these victims, though the factors influencing disclosure and the effectiveness of school re-sponses vary widely. Objectives: This study aims to improve understanding and responses to child maltreatment in Switzerland and Vietnam by combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews with students, school professionals, and experts. The goal is to develop evidence-based poli-cy guidelines to enhance prevention and response efforts in secondary schools, tailored to each country's context by applying a collaborative approach for evidence-based policy de-velopment in Switzerland and Vietnam. Keywords: Child maltreatment, school, collaborative approach, Vietnam, Switzerland.

Approximately 15% of women in low-and middle-income countries experience common perinatal mental disorders. Yet, many women, even if diagnosed with mental health conditions, are untreated due to poor quality care, limited accessibility, limited knowledge, and stigma. This paper describes how mental health-related stigma influences pregnant women’s decisions not to disclose their conditions and to seek treatment in Vietnam, all of which exacerbate inequitable access to maternal mental healthcare. A mixed-method realist study was conducted, comprising 22 in-depth interviews, four focus group discussions (total participants n = 44), and a self-administered questionnaire completed by 639 pregnant women. A parallel convergent model for mixed methods analysis was employed. Data were analyzed using the realist logic of analysis, an iterative process aimed at refining identified theories. Survey data underwent analysis using SPSS 22 and descriptive analysis. Qualitative data were analyzed using configurations of context, mechanisms, and outcomes to elucidate causal links and provide explanations for complexity. Nearly half of pregnant women (43.5%) would try to hide their mental health issues and 38.3% avoid having help from a mental health professional, highlighting the substantial extent of stigma affecting health-seeking and accessing care. Four key areas highlight the role of stigma in maternal mental health: fear and stigmatizing language contribute to the concealment of mental illness, rendering it unnoticed; unconsciousness, normalization, and low literacy of maternal mental health; shame, household structure and gender roles during pregnancy; and the interplay of regulations, referral pathways, and access to mental health support services further compounds the challenges. Addressing mental health-related stigma could influence the decision of disclosure and health-seeking behaviors, which could in turn improve responsiveness of the local health system to the needs of pregnant women with mental health needs, by offering prompt attention, a wide range of choices, and improved communication. Potential interventions to decrease stigma and improve access to mental healthcare for pregnant women in Vietnam should target structural and organizational levels and may include improvements in screening and referrals for perinatal mental care screening, thus preventing complications.