One of the main objectives of the training course was to help the trainees to set up the Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs) on mental healthcare for PLHIV in OPCs. With technical guidance from Dr Tran Tuan, all 3 OPCs developed their own SOPs including the stages of preventive counseling, early screening for mental disorders, treatment and social rehabilitation. Practice of “Duong Sinh TuNa” was recommended for 100% of PLHIV patients coming to the OPCs, and in the stages of preventive counseling and functional rehabilitation. Doctors were advised to apply the counseling program for mental disorder prevention (included 5 counseling sessions to understand the philosophical basis of the method, ways to build positive habits, and 3 practice sessions with all 8 components of “Duong Sinh TuNa”: breath, meditation, relaxation, movement through the whole body exercises, personal hygiene, digestion and positive thinking for patients who are not found to have mental health problems (indicated by obtaining a score of less than 8 points on the Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20). For patients with SRQ-20 scores indicating the possible presence of a mental disorder, the Duong Sinh TuNa therapy program will be adjusted for each patient. The trainees of the courses expressed their excitement for the first time to hear scientific analyses about mechanisms of habit formation, the impacts of habits on physical health and mental health, and how to apply clinical counseling for positive habit formation and negative habit adjustment. Duong Sinh TuNa was agreed for assuring the 4E standards (Easy to Understand, Easy to Remember, Easy to Practice, and Easy to Form the Habit)

For presentation materials from the course, please contact the author Dr Tran Tuan at trantuanrtccd@gmail.com)