MENTAL HEALTH OF HEALTHCARE STUDENTS IN HO CHI MINH CITY: A SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACH

Abstract

Healthcare students are often exposed to intense academic, professional, and socio-cultural pressures, which place them at heightened risk of mental health decline. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative survey data from students at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City and Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, this study examines the mental health characteristics of healthcare students in Ho Chi Minh City across socio-demographic and family economic factors, using the WHO-5 Well-Being Index and the GHQ-12 General Health Questionnaire.  The findings indicated that 56,4% of medical students in Ho Chi Minh City are mentally healthy (WHO-5 > 13), while 59.8% exhibited signs of psychological distress (GHQ-12 ≥ 3). Notably, the demographic most affected by poor mental health included RHM students, female students, and those hailing from low-income backgrounds. These findings underscore the necessity for the development of targeted interventions that consider disciplinary focus, gender, and financial assistance to promote beneficial mental health outcomes and mitigate psychological distress among medical students.