Le Minh Tien

A quantitative study on vietnamese university students’ perceptions of mental illness

• Authors Details :  
• Le Minh Tien

25 Views Original Article

Introduction: Mental illness is a global issue that affects various population groups, including university students. Gaining insights into students' perspectives on mental illness plays a vital role in fostering mental health awareness and combating stigma in educational environments Purpose: The present study aimed to investigate Vietnamese undergraduate students’ knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of mental illness by focusing on the dimensions: (i) the level of knowledge students possess about the causes and manifestations of mental illness, and (ii) their attitudes towards individuals experiencing mental health problems. Methodology: Using a descriptive cross-sectional design, this study involved 350 undergraduate students from five universities in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Data collection was conducted between June and July 2024 and utilized the Perception Towards Persons with Mental Illness (PWMI) Scale adapted from previous studies. Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Science software, version 25 (IBM SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA). Results: The results indicated that approximately 80.6% knew about mental illness, and 70.5% perceived mental illness as a common or quite common phenomenon in Vietnam. Regarding the etiology of mental illness, a significant majority identified "bad things happening to you" as a cause (73.3%), followed by substance abuse (51.4%) and brain disease (50.0%). The findings also revealed that, despite some positive perceptions and attitudes, many responses clustered around the neutral option, particularly for controversial or personal items. Conclusions: The findings of this study underscore the need for targeted educational interventions to foster more informed and compassionate attitudes towards individuals with mental illness among undergraduate students.

Article Subject Details

• Psychology
• Public health
• Public health policy

Article Keywords Details

• Attitudes
• Mental health
• People with mental illness
• Psychiatric illness
• Mental illness

Article File

More Article by Le Minh Tien