Mental health, and mental health issues in hospital settings, have been an important focus for OUCRU’s Public and Community Engagement team since 2016. This focus was developed after we surveyed in 2016 at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases (HTD), one of OUCRU’s key partners in Vietnam. It found that 28% of healthcare workers had moderate to severe depression, and 38% had moderate to severe anxiety.
In response to these findings, and in collaboration with the Hospital for Tropical Diseases Social Work Department, we developed resources and training about stress management and communication skills for healthcare workers. Further, we supported HTD colleagues responding to identified stress among carers and family members of patients with targeted health information and support mechanisms. Similar engagement collaborations regarding mental health support have occurred in Nepal with partner hospitals.
Out of this work, and in response to the wider health impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have also been working to make information on mental health available to Vietnamese audiences, as well as signposting information about support for mental health in Vietnam and Nepal.
Along with partners HTD, VnPA, and Medisetter, OUCRU will host a World Mental Health Day webinar on workplace mental health. The event will cover psychological first aid, mental health awareness during disasters, and crisis preparedness strategies.
