People with mental health problems are increasing, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health proposes care strategy

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has just submitted a document requesting the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to approve the "Healthcare Strategy for the City's people from now until 2025 and the following years".

Ho Chi Minh City has a mental health care system from the community to specialized facilities. However, it still does not meet the actual needs of patients.

According to the Department of Health, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a sharp increase in the incidence of mental disorders globally. In addition, the issues of climate change crisis, war, and global economic recession have also increased the burden on the mental health care system.

Data released by the Ministry of Health shows that the rate of common mental disorders is 14.9% of the population, meaning that nearly 15 million people are affected. Of which, schizophrenia accounts for 0.47% of the population; depression and anxiety account for 5-6% of the population; the rest are other mental disorders such as bipolar disorder, mental disorders related to the use of alcohol, drugs and other addictive substances.

According to 2019 data, about 8-9% of adolescents have mental health problems, with higher rates in males for behavioral disorders and in females for emotional disorders. An epidemiological survey in 10 provinces and cities showed that the rate of mental problems in children is about 12%, meaning that more than 3 million children need access to mental health services.

In Ho Chi Minh City alone, in 2022, Ho Chi Minh City Mental Hospital received a total of 170,000 medical visits, an average of 800-1,000 visits/day. Of which, anxiety disorders and mood disorders accounted for the highest rates, equivalent to 35.67% and 24.95%.

The Department of Health assessed that mental health care in the city over the past many years has been implemented synchronously and comprehensively. Thereby, initially helping people easily access mental health care services right at the local level to specialized hospitals. However, the need for mental health care has not been met due to the increasing number of people with mental health problems at various levels. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated acute and chronic stress and affected the mental health of millions of people.

Many people with mental disorders do not have access to effective care services, increasing the treatment gap. Along with that, there is still a great stigma against mental disorders, leading to a reluctance to admit mental health problems to seek timely examination and treatment.

In particular, the human resources in the psychiatric sector have not met the actual needs. The number and quality of psychiatrists and psychotherapists are low compared to the rest of the world. In addition, there is currently no scope of practice for psychologists and psychological counselors in Vietnam.

In addition, hospital infrastructure has deteriorated and cannot meet the increasing number of patients. General hospitals and schools do not have psychiatric clinics or psychological consultation rooms for early screening and timely treatment of mental problems.

According to 2014 statistics from the World Health Organization, Vietnam has only 0.91 psychiatrists per 100,000 people, among the lowest in the world. The number of psychiatrists/population and psychiatric beds/population in Ho Chi Minh City is also low compared to the whole country, only 0.07 compared to 0.12/1,000 people.

Faced with the above issue, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has proposed that the City People's Committee approve the "Health Strategy on Mental Health Care for Ho Chi Minh City residents from now until 2025 and the following years". The strategy was drafted by leading experts in psychiatry, clinical psychology, and neurology and received comments and consensus from relevant departments and sectors.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health said that the city has a wide network of 310 commune health stations to outpatient clinics of district health centers. In addition, there are facilities specializing in receiving and treating adults and children with mental health problems, including the Ho Chi Minh City Mental Hospital, 4 general hospitals, and 3 specialized hospitals. There are about 90 doctors with certificates to practice psychiatry. In addition, the city also cares for about 4,000 homeless mentally ill people at centers, implements school mental health care activities, and implements a model of emergency depression services...

Source: https://nld.com.vn/suc-khoe/nguoi-gap-van-de-suc-khoe-tam-than-tang-so-y-te-tp-hcm-de-xuat-chien-luoc-cham-soc-20230412142604065.htm