Burnout, But Make It Official: Vietnam May Start Tracking Work Stress

Vietnam’s Ministry of Health is seeking public feedback on a draft circular, which, for the first time, proposes placing factors such as chronic stress, work pressure and academic pressure under community-based mental health monitoring.

The proposal introduces mental health surveillance as a new component of the Law on Disease Prevention. This act reflects a shift from treating mental illness to preventing it, extending monitoring to include high-risk individuals — not just diagnosed patients — to allow earlier intervention for conditions such as depression and anxiety.

Only 10% of mental health patients have access to formal treatment

According to the Ministry of Health, patients with common mental disorders in Vietnam account for 14.9% of the population (approximately 15 million people). However, only about 10% of those have access to formal treatment.

For most Vietnamese, mental health care remains out of reach. Mental health services for conditions such as depression and anxiety are mostly offered at central and provincial hospitals, while local hospitals mostly just receive schizophrenia or epilepsy - conditions that only affected 0.5% of the total patients in need of mental healthcare.

But even where care exists, it is uneven. Treatment remains heavily medication-driven, with psychotherapy and counselling still limited in availability. As of 2023, the country had just 143 clinical psychologists and psychotherapists nationwide. Clinical psychology services are also not yet formally covered by health insurance.

At the same time, the majority of Vietnamese have low mental health literacy. A 2024 study on 1077 Vietnamese participants living in Hanoi found that: only 18% of respondents recognised the need to seek professional help for mental health conditions such as depression or schizophrenia. Most others, instead, believed the solution was simply like getting rest, going out, or spending time with family.

Mental health as one of the national priorities

While mental health has been part of Vietnam’s health agenda for years, it was only after 2023, when mental health cases surged after COVID-19, that it began to emerge as a national priority.

Since 2023, the Ministry of Health has rolled out initiatives aimed at strengthening prevention, early detection and community-based management, including a national project integrating mental health into primary healthcare. By that, mental health is no longer treated solely as a specialised psychiatric concern, but increasingly as a national public health issue.

On March 5, 2026, the Ministry of Health published a draft circular detailing several provisions of the Law on Disease Prevention, expanding both the scope and target groups of mental health monitoring.

Under the draft, three groups will be placed under surveillance: individuals diagnosed with mental disorders, fatalities linked to mental disorders, and people considered at risk.

Four key groups of risk factors for mental disorders are identified as:

• Biological and genetic factors: family history of mental illness, brain injuries, chronic diseases, and vulnerable life stages such as puberty, postpartum, and ageing.
• Psychological factors: prolonged stress, trauma (e.g. bereavement, divorce, unemployment), personality traits, poor coping skills, and prior suicidal thoughts or behaviours.
• Social factors: isolation, lack of support, stigma and discrimination, unsafe environments, and substance abuse.
• Other factors: notably sustained pressure related to education, work, and financial stress.

The lack of readiness for the emerging policy

The proposal and the Ministry of Health’s efforts since 2023 signal a shift in how mental health is prioritised. Yet these efforts raise a practical question: how far can policy go when the system it relies on remains constrained?

Vietnam’s Psychiatry Clinic Market Report (2024), surveyed major psychiatric wards and hospitals nationwide, found that Vietnam faces a critical shortage of mental health professionals, with just 0.3 psychiatrists per 100,000 people—far below the global average of 9.0. This shortage is exacerbated by a lack of training programs, with only 250 new graduates entering the field annually. The Ministry of Health aims to increase this number to 600 by 2025, but immediate gaps in service provision remain a pressing challenge.

At the same time, stigma continues to limit demand for care. The 2024 report also pointed out 65% of individuals reluctant to seek help due to societal perceptions. This is reflected in patient experiences: study on schizophrenia in Vietnam found that schizophrenia patients often feel being perceived as less competent (63%), being seen negatively (58%), or avoided by others (53%), often leading them to conceal their condition.

Taken together, these constraints suggest that while policy is expanding the scope of mental health monitoring, the system and society may not yet be ready to respond.

By expanding what counts as mental health risk, Vietnam is raising a deeper question: whether the country is ready to respond. Whether this shift can translate into meaningful care will depend not only on policy but on how quickly their system and society can catch up.