Vietnam Journal of Sociology and Psychology

Mental Health under Social Strain: A Sociological Perspective among Healthcare Students in Vietnam

2026-01-30T09:51:16+07:00

Mental health is a critical determinant of academic achievement, professional competence, and long-term well-being. Healthcare students are especially vulnerable given their intensive training, financial pressures, and societal expectations. This study examined the determinants of mental health among healthcare students in Ho Chi Minh City, focusing on both positive well-being and psychological distress. An explanatory sequential mixedmethods design was employed. Quantitative data from 525 students were collected using the WHO-5 Well-Being Index, GHQ-12 General Health Questionnaire, and MSPSS-12, alongside indicators of chronic social strain and the academic environment. Logistic regression and PLS-SEM tested direct and moderating effects, guided by Pearlin’s stress process model, Cohen & Wills’s (1985) and Thoits’s (2011) social support theory, and Keyes’s dual-continua model. Qualitative data from 15 in-depth interviews were analyzed through interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results indicated that 43.6% of students had low well-being and 59.8% experienced psychological distress. Academic pressure most strongly harmed well-being, while financial strain consistently predicted distress. Peer support sustained wellbeing, and family support reduced distress. Academic factors such as lecturer relationships, counseling awareness, and student engagement offered conditional protection. Overall, healthcare students’ mental health is socially structured, with distinct drivers for well-being and distress. The dual-continua framework provides a proper lens than single-axis models. Policies should tackle structural inequalities, expand institutional support, and strengthen peer- and community-based initiatives.

Social Policy in Education in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas after 40 Years of Vietnam’s Renovation: Successful Lessons and a Vision for a New Era

2026-01-30T09:54:28+07:00

Education and training play a huge role in social development, contributing to improving people’s knowledge, shaping personality, creating a new system of social values in each country and nation in the process of development and integration. In recent decades, Vietnam has successfully implemented social policies in education in mountainous ethnic minority areas. However, new limitations and challenges in education in mountainous ethnic minority areas are arising in the new context. The research question is what successes and limitations Vietnam has had in implementing social policies in developing education in mountainous ethnic minority areas. Based on secondary sources, with the policy overview method, the article explores scholarship support policies; tuition exemptions; social subsidies; priority admission policies to universities and colleges; gender equality policies... Analyzes successes, limitations and proposes policy implications to improve and enhance the effectiveness of social policies in education for ethnic minority mountainous areas in Vietnam in the new era, the era of national development.

Improving the Quality of Social Work Services in Taking Care of the Elderly People in Private Social Institutions in Hanoi

2026-01-30T09:56:17+07:00

This article examines the current state of service quality in private elderly care facilities in Hanoi. The study employed a mixed-methods design, combining a quantitative survey of 150 questionnaires with qualitative in-depth interviews conducted with five older adults, three family members, and five managers and social workers working in private elderly care institutions. The findings indicate that while basic physical care services generally meet the essential needs of older adults, mental life support services remain limited. Moreover, the social work workforce is insufficient in both quantity and professional competence, falling short of the practical demands of private care settings. Based on these results, the study proposes several policy and practice recommendations aimed at improving the quality and effectiveness of elderly care services in the private sector.

Tiktok Social Network - A Communication Channel for Protecting Children from Abuse and Exploitation

2026-01-30T10:05:24+07:00

This study examines the effectiveness of TikTok as a communication channel for promoting child protection against abuse and exploitation, in the context of the platform surpassing one billion monthly active users and joining the Technology Coalition in 2021. Employing document analysis and case study methods of communication campaigns produced by governmental bodies, NGOs, and influential content creators from 2020 to 2023, the study applies Social Media Theory, Reception Theory, and Interactive Communication Theory to analyze mechanisms of message dissemination, user reception, and community engagement on TikTok. Findings indicate that short-form videos, algorithmic personalization, and high viral potential make TikTok a conducive environment for raising awareness, supporting digital education, and fostering collective action on issues related to child protection. The study also proposes strategic directions for optimizing TikTok’s educational and communicative functions amid an increasingly complex digital ecosystem.

Livelihood Sustainability and Gendered Dimensions in the Fishery Sector: A Case Study in Giao Thuy District, Nam Dinh Province

2026-01-30T10:20:27+07:00

This study investigates livelihood sustainability and gender dimensions in the fishery sector of Giao Thuy district, northern Vietnam, using the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF) with a gender-sensitive approach. Based on household surveys and in-depth interviews, a Sustainable Livelihood Capital Index (SLCI) was developed to evaluate disparities across five livelihood capitals. Findings show that while physical capital remains stable, natural and financial capitals are increasingly constrained by resource depletion and restricted access to formal credit. Social capital plays a dual role: it strengthens adaptive capacity through women’s networks and microcredit groups but also reinforces gendered inequalities in professional associations and decision-making. Women contribute significantly to trading, processing, and household reproduction, yet their roles remain undervalued compared to men’s dominance in capture fisheries and governance. The study argues that livelihood sustainability must consider gender-equitable access to resources and participation. Policy recommendations highlight gender-responsive credit, recognition of women’s contributions, and institutional reforms for inclusive coastal livelihoods.

The Influence of Parental Parenting Style on Test Anxiety among High School Students: The Chain Mediation Model of Self-Esteem and Psychological Resilience

2026-01-30T10:24:14+07:00

This study examines the influence of parental parenting styles, self-esteem, and psychological resilience on test anxiety among high school students using a chain mediation model. A total of 602 Vietnamese high school students were surveyed using the Parenting Style Scale, the Self-Esteem Scale, the Psychological Resilience Scale, and the Test Anxiety Scale. The results indicated that: 1) negative parental parenting styles directly increased students’ test anxiety, while positive parenting styles did not significantly predict test anxiety; 2) both self-esteem and psychological resilience independently mediated the relationship between parental parenting style and test anxiety; and 3) self-esteem and psychological resilience jointly functioned as a chain mediator between parental parenting style and test anxiety. The findings demonstrate that negative parenting styles not only directly affect students’ test anxiety but also exert an indirect influence through the chain mediating roles of self-esteem and psychological resilience. Conversely, positive parenting styles influence test anxiety only indirectly through the mediating effects of self-esteem and psychological resilience.

The Relationship between Parenting Styles and Psychological need Satisfaction as Perceived by High School Students

2026-01-30T10:26:22+07:00

The three basic psychological needs - autonomy, competence, and relatedness - play a vital role in promoting learning motivation, mental health, and holistic development among high school students. Guided by Self-Determination Theory, this study explored the relationship between parenting styles and the satisfaction of psychological needs among 311 students from two high schools in Hanoi. Parenting styles were assessed using the Perceptions of Parents Scale (Robbins, 1994), and psychological need satisfaction was measured using the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (Chen et al., 2015). These instruments were previously validated for lower secondary students by Nguyen Phuc Loc and Tran Thi Le Thu (2023) and were adapted for high school students in this study. Results showed that students reported moderate levels of need satisfaction, with relatedness being the highest. Both fathers and mothers displayed positive parenting characteristics, but mothers were rated higher overall, especially in warmth. Parenting dimensions were positively correlated with the satisfaction of all three psychological needs. Multiple regression analysis revealed that parental warmth from both parents strongly predicted relatedness and autonomy, while mothers’ autonomy support predicted competence. The findings highlight the significant role of parenting in fostering adolescents’ psychological development and suggest the importance of culturally sensitive interventions in the Vietnamese context.

Self-Stigma and its Association with Parental Stress among Single Mothers

2026-01-30T10:29:51+07:00

Self-stigma is a psychosocial phenomenon that can occur in any individual or group possessing characteristics that are either explicitly or implicitly associated with socially endorsed negative stereotypes. Using a questionnaire-based survey, this study investigated the association between internalized stigma and parental stress among 174 Vietnamese women who self-identified as single mothers. The findings revealed that higher levels of internalized stigma were significantly associated with greater parental stress. Notably, neither financial conditions nor support from the child’s father played a moderating role in this relationship. However, marital status emerged as a significant moderator. Women who had never been married or were legally married but self-identified as single mothers reported a stronger association between self-stigma and parental stress. The study also discusses its limitations and provides implications for future research on this topic.