Mental health is one of the main focus areas of RTCCD. RTCCD is an accredited institution in providing training on, research in, and community interventions for upgrading mental health care and prevention in Vietnam. In addition to training and research, RTCCD provides outpatient mental health care services through its TuNa clinic. RTCCD has also been a host for various national and international mental health workshops and conferences since 2005. Our involvement in mental health research includes the following areas:

Research

Validating psychometric tools to screen mental disorders. We validated the SRQ20 psychometric measurement tool for screening mental disorders in adults, the SDQ25 questionnaire for screening mental disorders in children 4-17 years old, and the EPDS scale for screening mood disorders in pregnant and post-partum women.

Conducting epidemiological studies to measure the burden of mental disorders and factors contributing to the distribution of mental disorders in various population subgroups, especially women and children. RTCCD is the first institution in Vietnam to provide community-based research evidence on the prevalence of mental disorders in children, teenagers, pregnant women and mothers with young babies. Our results have been used by governmental institutions in developing a child care policy for 2006-2010.

Pilot community-based intervention studies on prevention of mental disorders, using a horizontal approach. RTCCD was awarded a grant from the WHO to apply a model of mental health care and prevention in a context of community poverty prevention.

Pilot community-based intervention studies seeking a cost-effective strategy for mental health care for rural people. RTCCD is conducting an intervention designed to build up mental health care services in Van Don District (Quang Ninh province) with funds from Family Health International.

Mental health care, organic foods and micronutrient deficiency. RTCCD is the first local NGO to take mental health care and prevention beyond a clinical approach. We developed and are testing the hypothesis that growing organic food can serve as a preventive factor and psychotherapy for mental disorders in Vietnamese patients. We are developing a framework linking organic food development to the prevention of micronutrient deficiencies and food poisoning and to mental health care for mothers and children in rural areas of Vietnam.

Policy-oriented research for developing mental health care in Vietnam. We carried out an evaluation of a national project on community-based mental health care between 2001 and 2006 with funds from the WHO. We also collaborated with the University of Melbourne to launch a research project on perinatal mood disorders and child development in Ha Nam. Additionally, we have worked with the National Administration on Child Care and Protection to begin research on the feasibility of providing mental health care services in Hanoi’s school system.

Training and Mental health Promotion

Introductory training courses on mental health care and prevention. These courses have covered mental health care for children, pregnant women and women with newborn babies and mental health care for other vulnerable groups such as people with chronic, fatal diseases like cancer or HIV/AIDS. Our clients include: Vietnam Veterans America Foundation (VVAF) in their mental health system development project in Da Nang and Khanh Hoa; Family Health International (FHI) in their project on palliative care intervention in the Van Don and Cam Pha districts (Quang Ninh province); the National Administration for Child Care and Protection (NACCP).

Short training courses on mental health care practice at the household and community levels, open to the public. More than 10 courses were opened to the public during the last four years.

Providing consultant services to various organizations for expanding mental health care. RTCCD has been chosen by WHO, UNFPA, UNICEF, World Bank, VVAF, FHI, MoET, MoH, and NACCP as a preferred resource institution for mental health research and development in Vietnam.

Prevention and care for mental disorders through screening and counseling. RTCCD has provided daily out-patient services to the public through its TuNa clinic since 2005.

Policy advocacy

RTCCD is a local pioneer in mental health care policy advocacy in Vietnam. Over the last five years, RTCCD has been a local organizer and a member of national and international committees for organizing the mental health workshops and conferences listed below. RTCCD is also a key source of information on mental health education for national newspapers.

2009

·          A seminar on “Maternal mental health: The association between mental health and food safety”; Hanoi, June 15, 2009.

·          Round-table discussion on “mental health care and poverty reduction”; Feb 23, 2009.

2008

·          Strategic Planning Workshop for the Taskforce Group on Mental Health Care in Vietnam; Hanoi, Feb 19, 2008.

·          Mental health care in the workplace: Creating a good-humoured workplace for stress control and mental disorders prevention; Hanoi April 22, 2008.

·          Round-table discussion on “Perinatal mental health and a need for community-based interventions with special emphasis on the roles of community health workers, nurses and midwives. Hanoi, December 12, 2008.

2007

·          Workshop on the formation of a community mental health care taskforce group in Vietnam; Hanoi; December 12, 2007.

·          Maternal mental health and child health and development in resource-constrained settings: WHO-UNFPA International Expert Meeting: The interface between reproductive health and mental health; Hanoi June 21-23, 2007

2006

·          Strategic meeting for reviewing RTCCD’s progress on mental health care development in Vietnam; Hanoi, Oct 11, 2006.

2005

·          Workshop on primary mental health care for mothers and children in Vietnam, Hanoi, June 6-10, 2005

·          National conference on mental health in Vietnam; Hanoi; March 16, 2005.