HANOI, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- About 14 million people in Vietnam suffer from mental disorders with varying degrees of severity, but the Southeast Asian country has only 143 clinical psychologists and psychotherapists, local media reported on Wednesday.
The country is facing the problem due to a gradually aging population and a high proportion of people with neural disabilities, as well as the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, local newspaper Vietnam News reported, citing the Department of Medical Service Administration under the Ministry of Health.
There is a big gap in mental disorder treatment in Vietnam as mental rehabilitation services are very limited, and there are no formal mental health services for people affected by natural disasters, such as floods, droughts and epidemics, including COVID-19, according to the department.
The stigmatization of patients with mental illnesses and disorders in Vietnam has led to refusing diagnoses and delays in treatment, the newspaper reported. ■
