Mental health in Vietnam: An introductory editorial

2020 has been a very difficult year worldwide, and the experience continues as we write this editorial. The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting restriction worldwide has brought about the best and worst in all of us, including mobilization of public health resources, international cooperation in development of novel vaccines, and an esprit de corps that we can all be “Together Apart.” At the same time, fear and uncertainty has stoked already deep racial divisions, as seen by the continued disregard of Black lives and the rise of anti-Asian sentiment as a result of COVID-19 related scapegoating in the United States. However, this syndemic also has a silver lining, as seen by the resultant racial awakenings and uprisings, which bring to light the need for increased awareness of both the recognition of the complexity and heterogeneity of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), as well as the need for solidarity among BIPOC to fight the history of white supremacy, colonialism, and imperialism worldwide.

We are committed to this revolution; as a journal focusing on global mental health issues, one of our missions is to highlight and amplify voices that have not traditionally been heard. Vietnam is one country that has been deeply affected by Western imperialism throughout its history. The scene of many bloody wars, Vietnam has emerged as a growing, prosperous nation, one which has brought its own perspective to the global stage. Although much of scientific mental health literature to date focuses on the Vietnamese diaspora and the after-effects of the war on its peoples, much less has been published on mental health in Vietnam itself.

In the present issue, we present three papers focusing on mental health currently in Vietnam: one study investigates the prevalence of stress, coping strategies, and their association in high school gifted students (Thai et al., 2021), another describes the mental health service utilization and examine associated factors among university students in Vietnam (Pham Tien et al., 2021), and a third identifies the prevalence of depression and perceived barriers to accessing psychological services among the elderly people in a rural district in Hanoi (Nguyen Hang Nguyet et al., 2021). By focusing on two ends of its generations, both on the richness and resilience of its youth, as well as its elderly, these articles are a rare glimpse into mental health in this vibrant country, itself resilient after centuries of conflict and colonialization.

We encourage our readership to consider International Journal of Mental Health as a platform to highlight mental health research globally, sometimes from corners of the globe that have previously been overlooked. Ultimately, this enriches the scientific, political, and social dialogue for us all.