Nearly 10 percent of the Vietnamese population, or nine million people,suffer from mental disorders which come in different forms, withsymptoms including anxiety, insomnia and emotional and behaviouraldisorders.

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and SocialAffairs raised the statistic at a conference in Hanoi on June 3,attended by experts from the US, partially attributing the trend to thepressures of the open-door economy and the rapid growth of technology inVietnam.

The conference provided an opportunity forVietnamese delegates to get updated on international experience inmental health care and social welfare models for taking care of mentallyill patients.

There are about 26 centres across the countryrehabilitating over 10,000 patients with serious mental disorders. Theseclinics have been gradually improving the infrastructure and enhancingthe quality of services.

However, they are encountering anumber of difficulties such as insufficient medicine, imperfectpolicies, low pay for staff and limited public awareness of mentalhealth.

Participants suggested the ministry build a nationalstrategic framework in the field to provide better services for thepatients.

They said the State should have a key role to playin expanding the social welfare network, which needs the participationsof organisations, businesses and local people.-VNA