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VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

DO ANH HOA

SOCIAL WORK SERVICES TOWARDS MENTAL
DISORDER-SUFFERING CHILDREN FROM THE
PRACTICE OF QUANG NINH PROVINCE

Major

: Social work

Code

: 976 01 01

ABSTRACT
OF SOCIAL WORK DOCTOR’S DISSERTATION

Hanoi, 2021


The work has been implemented at:
GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
Supervisors:

Associ.Prof.Dr. Pham Huu Nghi
Dr. Bui Thi Mai Dong

Reviewer 1: Associ.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Thanh Binh

Reviewer 2: Associ.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Duc Chien
Reviewer 3: Dr. Nguyen Nguyen Ngoc

The dissertation shall be defended at the Academy-level Dissertation
Assessment Council, at Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences
At ……….. : ……., of ……../……./………..

The Dissertation is available for reference at:
- National Library of Vietnam
- Library of Graduate Academy of Social Sciences


FOREWORDS
1. Rationale
At present, children’s material and spirit life is increasingly improved;
the works of children protection, care and education are changed positively
from awareness to policies and performance method; many progressions for
children in Vietnam have been made in short time. Through mass media, the
people recognize benefits and obligations of children as specified in the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Law of the Child 2016.
The spiritual and cultural life of children is gradually getting better; the
mortality rate of children under 1 year old and under 5 years old decreases; the
rates of children’s schooling and universalization of primary and secondary
education increase; the number of children with special circumstances being
cared for is increasing.
However, the process of international and regional economic
integration on one hand brings many chances and makes the country keep pace
with the region and the world, on the other hand creates an environment with
many complicated developments and new challenges for the children
protection, care and education. The number of children with special

circumstances tends to increasing; as reported by the localities at the end of
2015, there were more than 26 million children, of whom 1.5 million of
children with special circumstances and about 2.5 million of children were in
risk of special circumstances. The number of disable children was more than
1.2 billion, accounting for 1.4% of total population and 3.1% of total children.
Among children with intellectual disability, mental disorder-suffering children
are one of objects coping with the most difficulties. At present, the number of
children diagnosed with mental disorder is rather high. As reported by the
World Health Organization (WHO), the rate of mental disorder-suffering
children in the community is recognized from 10% to 20% in developed
countries. This rate is also estimated same in developing countries where many
children are living in poverty, lack of food, illness, violence and war. In
Vietnam, with studies and surveys made by researchers and organizations that
support children, the rate of children with mental health problems in general is
in range of 13 % to 20% in developing countries. Especially with results of
HCMC children’s mental health survey by Le Thi Ngoc Dung et al, it indicates
the remarkable rate of 21.3% of children with mental health problems in Ho
Chi Minh city. Meanwhile, many Vietnamese people remain unknown about
the mental disorder in children, they often confuse with some other diseases
such as intellectual disability, down, nervous disease... Many parents often
difficultly accept the fact and hide it from neighboring people; accordingly,
they raise their children in a closed environment, not letting them know

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anything to prevent their children from screaming or hurting yourself. The very
ambiguity in awareness and direction of care and education of mental disordersuffering children automatically makes their abnormal behavior worse and the
gap between these children and society widened.
Studies about mental disorder-suffering children and supporting

services for them and their families are concerned from various aspects by
many domestic and foreign researchers. When studying about this topic,
findings and contributions vary from one author to another, which help to
clarify the panorama about the social work services towards mental disordersuffering children. In addition, the researchers indicate that a number of mental
disorders may start from their childhood. It is estimated that one fifth (about
20%) of children and teenagers cope with mental health problems, who need be
detected and treated. Some common mental disorders in children include
anxiety disorders; disruptive behavior and inattention disorders; eating
disorders; mood disorders…Children suffering from mental disorders will
affect physical development, reduce learning efficiency, often have aggressive
behaviors or withdraw from social relationships. Especially some mental
disorders make children to commit suicide or harm themselves.
Social work with its birth and professional development over one
century worldwide has proved its roles and responsibilities in the field of
mental healthcare, especially mental disorder problems in children. Providing
social work services with mental disorder-suffering children worldwide shows
that in addition to medical services, services of caring and supporting mental
disorder-suffering children are also widened more comprehensively and
flexibly, such as children’s crisis intervention services, early intervention
services with specific mental diseases, rapid intervention services,
psychotherapy and advice services for children, services of capacity building
and family support, assessment and advice and information supply, intensive
therapy services… It is demonstrated in the fact that the foregoing
comprehensive services are not only effective in intervention but also acts as
solid platform helping mental disorder-suffering children better rehabilitate
their social functions and integrate into the community. Applying and
developing such comprehensive services have overcome some restrictions of
the traditional intervention model while focusing in medical services.
Quang Ninh is a province located in the Northeast of Vietnam,
covering 611,081.3 km2, with population of over 1.2 million people, including

13 districts, towns and cities with 177 communes, wards and townships. It has
a coastline of 250 km, a border of 132 km adjacent with China and Mong Cai
international border gate. Located in the key economic development area of the
Northern region (Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh), it has the largest coal
industrial park in the country and Ha Long Bay that is one of the natural
wonders of the world attracting domestic and foreign tourists. Geographical

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advantages such as seaports, borders and natural resources are the strength for
Quang Ninh's economic sectors to develop, such as industry, transportation,
tourism, trade and services. Quang Ninh is also one of the leading provinces in
the country in terms of effective implementation of the Project on Development
of Social Work Profession, the Project on Care and Function Rehabilitation for
the mental patients, mentally disturbed patients, which assist the disadvantaged
groups and contribute to ensuring social security.
According to statistics of Department of Labor Invalids and Social
Affairs in 2019, in Quang Ninh there were about 319,807 children at age of 016. With the survey statistics of Quang Ninh Center for Social Work obtained
for implementing the province-level scientific research project of “Studying
and suggesting solutions for reducing mental disturbance in Quang Ninh
province”, it shows that the rate of mental disorders in children in Quang Ninh
is 10.1% over 3,656 children under the survey.
At present, social work services for intervention and supporting mental
disorder-suffering children and their families in Quang Ninh are few, scatted
and incompliant with needs of families whose children are suffering from
mental disorder; social work services are supplied in restricted and
unprofessional manner by the local community, especially at public and private
health establishments, social assistance establishments in Quang Ninh, which
have not been properly concerned by agencies and people.

There are some studies concerning children with special circumstances
and social work in Quang Ninh, in which mental disorder-suffering children are
mentioned. However, there is not any study intensive in social work services
for mental disorder-suffering children from theoretical and practical aspects.
Therefore, designing programs or projects on mental disorder-suffering
children care and protection in Quang Ninh remains lack of scientific basis,
which results in ineffective support, intervention, psychotherapy or even
negative consequences; in addition, it causes difficulties in time, expenses and
health of mental disorder-suffering children and their families in screening,
diagnosis and early intervention.
Besides, studies about social work services for mental disordersuffering children remain restricted and unknown, meanwhile there is only few
about it. The author therefore selects the topic of “Social work services towards
mental disorder-suffering children from the practice in Quang Ninh” as his
dissertation topic.
2.1. Objectives of study
The dissertation aims at clarifying theoretical and practical perquisites
of social work services towards mental disorder-suffering children. On such
basis, measures for improving knowledge and skills of parents and caregivers
of mental disorder-suffering children are proposed; and suggestions for

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enhancing quality, efficiency of social work services towards mental disordersuffering children in Quang Ninh province are also provided.
2.2. Tasks of study
(1) Provide overview on studies and determine, clarify theoretical
issues on social work services towards mental disorder-suffering children;
factors affecting social work services towards mental disorder-suffering
children in Quang Ninh province.
(2) Survey and assess the actual situation of social work services

towards mental disorder-suffering children in Quang Ninh province and factors
affecting social work services towards mental disorder-suffering children in
Quang Ninh province.
(3) Experiment effects of training, disseminate knowledge and skills to
instruct and help parents and caregivers of mental disorder-suffering children
(4) Propose some suggestions for more effective care and support for
mental disorder-suffering children.
2.3. Questionnaire for study
(1) At present is there any social work service towards mental
disorder-suffering children?
(2) Is there any factor affecting social work services towards mental
disorder-suffering children in Quang Ninh?
(3) Which knowledge and skills should parents, caregivers of mental
disorder-suffering children have for caring and supporting mental disordersuffering children at families?
(4) What are solutions for improving efficiency of social work services
in supporting mental disorder-suffering children in Quang Ninh province?
2.4. Hypothesis of study
(1) At present there are some social work services for intervening and
supporting mental disorder-suffering children being implemented in Quang
Ninh, such as screening, early intervention for mental disorder-suffering
children; consultancy and advice for families of mental disorder-suffering
children; connection, referral, policy support; communication and education
for awareness enhancement and training.
(2) Social work services towards mental disorder-suffering children in
Quang Ninh is influenced by various factors: policies, laws; providers of social
work services; characteristics of mental disorder-suffering children; families of
mental disorder-suffering children; service providing establishments, etc.
3) Parents, caregivers of mental disorder-suffering children in Quang
Ninh are lack of knowledge and skills to care for and educate their children, so
they need to be trained, equipped with knowledge and skills to care for their

children better.
(4) In the coming time, in order to improve the effectiveness of social
work services in supporting mental disorder-suffering children, many complete

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solutions on policies, service provision, service providers’ professional quality
enhancement should be deployed in Quang Ninh.
3. Subject, object and scope of study
3.1. Subject of study
Social work services towards mental disorder-suffering children
3.2. Object of study
-110 parents and caregivers of mental disorder-suffering children
- 90 officials, doctors, social workers (care-staff, psychotherapy doers
at social assistance establishments, clinic psychology officials; kindergarten
teachers)
3.3 Scope of study
Restrictions on study content:
There are many social work services towards mental disorder-suffering
children, however, it focuses on studying the most popular and basic services in
Vietnam today: screening and early intervention for mental disorder-suffering
children; counseling and advising for mental disorder-suffering children’s
families; connection, referral, policy support; communication, education,
awareness raising, training. At the same time, it analyzes a number of factors
affecting social work services towards mental disorder-suffering children in
Quang Ninh, such as policies, laws; providers of social work services;
characteristics of mental disorder-suffering children; families of mental
disorder-suffering children; service providing establishments.
Mental disorder-suffering children mentioned in the dissertation are at the

age of 0 – 16 and have been diagnosed as mental disorder patients by health
establishments and social assistance establishments.
Restriction on location of study:
The study is implemented at some agencies in Quang Ninh: Quang Ninh
Social Work Center; Van Don district Health Center; Quang Ninh Obstetrics
and Pediatrics Hospital; Mental Health Protection Hospital; Bureaus of Labour,
Invalids and Social Affairs at district, town and city levels; some private social
assistance establishments; system of Social Work Offices in Quang Ninh
province.
Time of study: From May 2016 to May 2019; datum and figures on social
work services towards mental disorder-suffering children have been collected
since 2011.
4. Methodology and methods of study
4.1. Methodology of study
To implement this dissertation, methodology of dialectical materialism
and historical materialism are applied by the author.

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In order to help mental disorder-suffering children develop better, we
must put the study in natural laws, principles put in common relationship, in
living environment with directly or indirectly affecting factors, it depends on
the awareness level of children, families, communities and policies and
regimes, social work services that support mental disorder-suffering children
with the relationship of resources mobilization (internal and external
resources).
4.2. Methods of study
To solve the proposed tasks of study, the following methods are
adopted in combination: Document analysis method; Observation method;

Specialist method; Experimenting method; Questionnaire-based interview; Indepth interview method; Group discussion method; Mathematical statistics
method; qualitative data processing method.
5. New findings of the Dissertation
It systemizes theoretically social work services towards mental
disorder-suffering children, clarifies some relevant concepts and adds some
concepts and theories to be applied in social work towards mental disordersuffering children; significance of social work services and roles of social work
services providers in intervening and supporting mental disorder-suffering
children and their families. Through study, it is to suggest solutions for
regularly training, disseminating knowledge and skills for instructing parents
and caregivers of mental disorder-suffering children in order to enhance
efficiency in mental disorder-suffering children assistance. Its findings are basis
for proposing policies and can be applied in the development of intervention
models, social work services towards mental disorder-suffering children at
public and private health establishments and social assistance establishments in
Quang Ninh and thorough the country.
6. Theoretical and practical significance of the Dissertation
6.1. Theoretical significance
It gives general overview on theoretical issues on social work services
towards mental disorder-suffering children; clarifies some relevant concepts;
adds some concepts and theories to be applied in social work towards mental
disorder-suffering children.
6.2. Practical significance
It shall indicate actual situation of social work services towards mental
disorder-suffering children, also of factors affecting social work services
towards mental disorder-suffering children in Quang Ninh, at the same time
assessing efficiency of training, disseminating knowledge and skills for
instructing parents and caregivers of mental disorder-suffering children. Its
findings can be useful reference for teaching and learning social work for those
who are suffering from mental health problems in general, providing social
work services to support mental disorder-suffering children in particular at

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universities and colleges in Vietnam. Besides, its findings is also a ground for
counseling and proposing to competent authorities for amendment and revision
of some policies for mental disorder-suffering children and social work services
provided in Quang Ninh province.
7. Structure of the dissertation
In addition to the forewords, conclusions and recommendations, list of
the author’s published works related to the dissertation, list of reference
materials and appendixes, the Dissertation are divided into four chapters:
- Chapter 1: Literature review of the topic
- Chapter 2: Theoretical issues on social work services towards mental
disorder-suffering children
- Chapter 3: Actuality of social work services towards mental disordersuffering children in Quang Ninh province
- Chapter 4: Experimenting the training, disseminating knowledge and
skills, instructing to assist mental disorder-suffering children for parents and
caregivers
CHAPTER 1
LITERATURE REVIEW OF THE TOPIC
1.1. Literature review of foreign studies
1.1.1. Studies on mental disorder-suffering children
Foreign studies show that 7 to 10% of children and teenagers suffer
from mental disorders which need be treated. This rate is higher at urban areas
with crowed population and social disadvantages, especially at puberty.
Pressure from transfer exams and academic burden, children who have to live
in difficult circumstances or live with parents who suffer from depression… are
related to mental health problems in children.
1.1.2 Studies on social work services towards mental disordersuffering children

Foreign researchers have focused on studying these services since the
early 1980s in various fields of social life such as economy, culture and
education. However, under the aspect of social work, it is an essential field to
be concerned and studied more intensively. Social work is a career and
professional action, therefore there are many studies about social work and
social security policies. Social work services and method of social work
services deployment are mostly grown up in developed countries.
Studies on social work services towards mental disorder-suffering
children worldwide focus on problems such as needs of using services of
mental disorder care from various group of mental disorder-suffering children;
they should have direct and connected intervention and psychotherapy that
change their life; Social workers, social work models and activities at

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communities take an important role in intervening and supporting mental
disorder-suffering children; Associations of Social Workers and partners of
policy mobilization enhance quality of mental healthcare for children; Studies
on intervention measures help to improve awareness of mental disordersuffering children; Many children and teenagers with needs of mental
healthcare (determined with some clinic assessment) desire to receive social
work services, however there are some restrictions in receiving such services,
etc.
1.2. Literature review of domestic studies
1.2.1. Studies on mental disorder-suffering children
Majority of findings on mental health epidemiology in Vietnamese
children shows that the rate of children with mental health problems is
generally in range of 13% to 20% in developing countries according to WHO
studies.
Especially, among studies on mental disorder-suffering children, study

on autism in children is one of the topics that many researchers in the world
and Vietnam are interested in. Specially, the search results for the word
"autism" on PsyINFO are 38,250 articles, books, theses and dissertations. If
“autism” is limited to the name of study, there are 12,174 results. Thus, it can
be said that the number and topics of autism studies in the world are extremely
large and diversified. Autism has been being a great interest for study.
1.2.2. Studies on social work services towards mental disordersuffering children
Findings of some authors: Basic information about common mental
disorders in children; knowledge and skills of caring and educating children
and process of examination, assessment and treatment, rehabilitation for mental
disorder-suffering children; Oriented recommendations on management
innovation and development of social services in the most general perspective
of services in Vietnam in the coming time; Recommendations on the
development of a network of social services in Vietnam as services to be
established and provided to people with social problems at all levels and in
communities; Basic concepts, processes and tools used in social work for
mental disorder-suffering people who are women and children; Multi-system
therapy is currently being assessed very effective in the intervention of
behavioral disorders in adolescents. However, there are still not many studies
clearly indicating which conditions multi-system therapy is effective. The
analysis results have also identified a number of affecting factors such as the
child's age, family income, parents’ marital status or parents’ mental health;
Basic counseling skills and some specialized counseling skills of social
workers when working with autistic children's families and providing effective
solutions to improve some specialized counseling skills for families of autistic
children; Actual status of social service provision in public and private social

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care establishments and affecting factors, etc.
1.3. Literature review on studies performed
1.3.1. Findings of studies performed
It shows that studies on mental disorder in children have been
concerned from different aspects. When studying this topic, findings and
contributions vary from one author to another, which help to clarify the
panorama about the social work services towards mental disorder-suffering
children: rate of mental disorder-suffering children is 10% - 20% and very few
of these children are treated, which shall significantly affect their abilities of
study and development; forms of mental disorder in children and its cause are
resulted from various factors including genetics, biology, psychological trauma
and stress from the environment and these factors correlate and influence each
other; Implementing behavioral interventions in intervention and therapy for
mental disorder-suffering children will help them increase their awareness,
interact and integrate into the community; Preliminary signs to diagnose mental
disorder-suffering children: about communication quality, behavior, quality of
social relations. Social work profession plays an important role in the process
of participating in providing social work services to intervene and support
mental patients in general and mental disorder-suffering children in particular.
Previous authors also indicate important roles of social workers in
supplying therapy and intervention services for mental disorder-suffering
children and their families through specific services such as case-management,
service coordination, policy support and mobilization, etc. towards active effect
on children and families; The relationship between depression of children’s
parents and the mental disorder of children is determined, thereby finding out
the causes, influencing factors and solutions to support this issue.
Besides authors have basic assessments towards access to social work
services and an overall assessment; on the other hand, they also propose many
solutions to improve the efficiency and diversity of services, activities and
social work models to help mental disorder-suffering children.

Specific assessments and analysis on the actual status of social work
services for mental disorder-suffering children and influencing factors have not
been mentioned and studied at intensive manner.
1.3.2. Issues having not been interested in studies
Though the literature review, it is realized that the topic of social work
towards mental disorder-suffering children is open and there are many specific
contents that have not attracted concern of researchers, such as:
(1) Studies on actual situation of social work services to support
mental disorder-suffering children and their families;
(2) Studies on factors affecting efficiency of providing social work
services to support mental disorder-suffering children and their families;
(3) Studies on the role and significance of social workers in supporting

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mental disorder-suffering children.
(4) Studies on solutions of enhancing efficiency of supporting mental
disorder-suffering children and their families;
(5) Studies on demand, aspiration of approaching and using social
work services of children, parents and those who bring up mental disordersuffering children;
(6) Comparative studies on social work services towards mental
disorder-suffering children in the political system between Vietnam and other
countries in the world.
1.3.3. Issues to be focused
To implement the topic of “Social work services towards mental
disorder-suffering children from the practice of Quang Ninh province”,
findings of the performed studies on social work towards mental disordersuffering children are inherited in the dissertation and focused on theory and
reality of social work services towards mental disorder-suffering children,
factors affecting social work services toward mental disorder-suffering children

in Quang Ninh province. On that basis, some recommendations, solutions,
training models to disseminate knowledge and skills for parents and caregivers
of mental disorder-suffering children are proposed to provide social work
services for mental disorder-suffering children in Quang Ninh province in more
effective manner; Generalize research on theoretical issues about social work
services toward mental disorder-suffering children; clarify some related
concepts; supplement some concepts and theories applied in social work
toward mental disorder-suffering children.
With focused content to be studied as mentioned above, it has basically
filled the gaps that have not been studied by previous researchers. The
dissertation of “Social work services towards mental disorder-suffering
children from the practice of Quang Ninh province” that is studied with
experiment, theory and specially practice shall contribute to theoretical and
practical development, growth of appropriate professions, models and social
work services to help mental disorder-suffering children and their families.
To successfully implement this topic, domestic and foreign literatures as
mentioned above are always important and useful references for the author’s
intensive studies.

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CHAPTER 2
THEORETICAL ISSUES ON SOCIAL WORK SERVICES TOWARDS
MENTAL DISORDER-SUFFERING CHILDREN
2.1. Concepts
2.1.1. Concepts on social work
Social work is a career, a professional work to assist individuals, families
and communities to improve competence to meet needs and strengthen social
functions, simultaneously impulse the social environment in terms of policies,

resources and services to help individuals, families and communities settle and
prevent social issues to contribute to assuring social security.
2.1.2. Concepts on social work services
Social work services are professional ones in the field of social work
where social workers use professional knowledge, skills and methods to help
individuals, families and communities improve their competence to meet needs
and enhance social function performance; simultaneously impulse the social
environment in terms of policies, resources and services to help individuals,
families and communities settle and prevent social issues to contribute to
assuring social security.
2.1.3. Concepts on mental health, mental disorder
2.1.3.1. Concepts on mental health
Mental health is a state of satisfaction in which an individual realizes his
or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses in life, can work
actively and contribute to the community.
2.1.3.2. Concepts on mental disorder
Mental disorder is a group of symptoms or behaviors resulting in
psychological, physiological and social dysfunction, causing difficulties and
disturbances in social interaction, study and work. If self-adjustment is not
made, then such symptoms or behaviors exceed their limit and professional
intervention is required.
2.1.4. Concepts on children, mental disorder-suffering children
2.1.4.1. Concept on children
At Article 1 of the Law on Children 2016, it is stipulated “children are
people of less than 16 years old”
2.1.4.2. Concept on mental disorder-suffering children

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- Concept on mental disorder-suffering children: They are people of less
than 16 years old, with a group of symptoms or behaviors resulting in
psychological, physiological and social dysfunction, causing difficulties and
disturbances in social interaction, study and work. If self-adjustment is not
made, then such symptoms or behaviors exceed their limit and professional
intervention is required.
- Causes of mental disorder in children:
Including: Biological causes; Personal psychological causes; social and
environmental causes; Many countries around the world are facing profound
economic and social changes. The social structure of the community is
changing due to the rapid growth and expansion of cities, migration, widening
income inequality, increasing unemployment and violence. All these factors are
the direct or indirect causes resulting in negative effects on mental health of
each individual, family and community today.
- Scale of assessment and screening of mental disorder in children:
Currently there is not any common standard for screening, diagnosis and
psychological intervention, therapy and functional rehabilitation for mental
disorder-suffering children. Approaches, performance processes and
regulations vary from one hospital, health station, social assistance
establishment of labor invalids and social affairs and private social assistance
establishment to others. Normally clinical psychologists, therapists,
consultants, researchers will refer to the observations in children in the tables of
diagnostic criteria: ICD - 10 or DSM - IV - TR (2000) to make diagnostic
conclusions. At some public and private social assistance establishment in
Vietnam, Test Denver II and PEP R, Gars-2 scale, PSSI, GAD-7, PHQ-9... are
used for screening assessment for early detection of mental disorder in children.
Within the scope of studies of the topic and approaching to the major of
social work, principal scales of screening and assessment that have been
adopted at some public and private social assistance establishments to assess
and detect early mental disorder-suffering children for timely psychological

intervention and therapy are mentioned hereof, such as Test Denver, PEP - R,
questionnaire for SDQ mental health screening.
2.1.5. Concepts on social work towards mental disorder-suffering
children

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Social work services towards mental disorder-suffering children are
professional ones in the field of social work, supplied by health establishments,
social assistance establishments where medical workers and social workers
adopt knowledge, skills, professional methods for the field of mental health,
psychology and society in order to assist individuals, families and communities
to improve their competence to meet needs and enhance social function
performance; simultaneously promoting the social environment in terms of
policies, resources and services to help individuals, families and communities
to solve and prevent social problems, ensure the implementation of the basic
rights of mental disorder-suffering children and their families, contributing to
assuring social security.
2.2. Social work services towards mental disorder-suffering children
It focuses on studying such social work services towards mental disordersuffering children as: screening, early intervention for mental disordersuffering children; consultancy and advice for families of mental disordersuffering children; connection, referral, policy support; communication and
education for awareness enhancement and training.
2.3. Mental disorders in children
Majority of children grow up healthily in terms of mental health, however,
current studies show that more children and youths cope with mental problems
as compared to the figures of 30 years ago. Some mental disorders in children
can be treated or solved, while others may not be treated or become long-term
problems. Some mental disorders in children are common, but others are rare.
Within the scope of study, the author learns at mental disorders such as autism,
attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, emotional disturbance, depression,

developmental language disorder, behavioral disorder.
2.4. Difficulties and needs of mental disorder-suffering children
2.4.1. Difficulties of mental disorder-suffering children
Mental disorder-suffering children copes with some difficulties:
differentiation and discrimination; difficulties of integrating into the
community; difficulties of accessing social care services; difficult
circumstances; family’s or caregiver’s lack of knowledge and methods of care.
2.4.2. Needs of mental disorder-suffering children

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Mental disorder-suffering children have common needs like normal
children. However, they also have specific needs to be met and problems in an
effort to relieve symptom and signs and enhance capability of integrating into
the community.
2.5. Theory applied to practicing the provision of social work services
towards mental disorder-suffering children
The perspectives of the Abraham Maslow’s demand theory and the system
theory are applied to address the content of study.
2.6. Factors affecting social work services towards mental disordersuffering children
To successful provide mental disorder-suffering children with social work
services, health establishments and providers of social work services should
attention to some main affecting factors: policies, laws, providers of social
work services, characteristics of mental disorder-suffering children, families of
mental disorder-suffering children; service provision establishments.
CHAPTER 3
ACTUALITY OF SOCIAL WORK SERVICES TOWARDS MENTAL
DISORDER-SUFFERING CHILDREN IN QUANG NINH PROVINCE
3.1. Generalizing features of Quang Ninh area and objects of study

Quang Ninh is a province located in the Northeast of Vietnam, covering
natural area of over 617,821 ha; administrative units include 04 cities, 02 towns
and 07 districts with 177 communes, wards and townships; of which there are
113 ethnic minority and mountainous communes; the population as of 2020 is
over 1.2 million people. Quang Ninh is home to the largest mineral deposits in
our country, accounting for 90%. This is an endless resource to supply raw
materials for many industries and exportation; Besides, tourism advantages are
also prioritized for development by the province.
At present the number of people demanding to use social work services
and disadvantageous people needing social assistance in Quang Ninh is great,
of whom are mental disorder-suffering children. To assure social security in
Quang Ninh province, public social assistance establishments: Quang Ninh
Social Work Center, Mental Health Protection Hospital, Mental disorder
prevention and therapy establishment – Van Don district Health Center,

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medical rehabilitation unit of Quang Ninh Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital
and private social assistance establishments have promoted activities of
providing social work services to support mental disorder-suffering children
and their families in recent times.
The study is performed in Quang Ninh, involved by 83 officials, doctors,
social workers of public and private social assistance establishments; 110
parents and caregivers of mental disorder-suffering children who are being
intervened and treated psychologically at public and private social assistance
establishments in Quang Ninh.
3.2. Generalizing the current situation of mental disorder-suffering
children in Quang Ninh
In the year of 2012 – 2013, Quang Ninh Department of Labor Invalids and

Social Affair collaborated with departments, agencies and the system of social
work services provision at levels and Research and Training Center for
Community Development (RTCCD) in investigation, survey and screening
examination with ECST, PSC, SDQ25, DSM – IV scale at 90 hamlets and
streets of 90 communes, wards and townships in 14 districts, towns and cities
of Quang Ninh province, in each village, households that have children at the
age of 2-16, with a total of 3,656 children, including children in special
circumstances. As a result, out of a total of 3,656 children screened, the rate of
mental disorders generally accounted for 10.1%. In other words, 1 out of every
10 children suffered from mental disorder, in which the highest rate was the
group of children at age of 11-16 (accounting for nearly 17%), followed by the
group of children at age of 2-5 (accounting for about 12%).
3.3. Actuality of social work services towards mental disordersuffering children in Quang Ninh province
Providing social work services is an important task of health
establishments, public and private social assistance establishments of Quang
Ninh during intervening and assisting mental disorder-suffering children and
their families.
Social work services in Quang Ninh is being provided by officials,
doctors, social workers of public and private social assistance establishments
with main services of screening, early intervention for mental disordersuffering children; consultancy and advice for families of mental disorder-

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suffering children; connection, referral, policy support; communication and
education for awareness enhancement and training.
Among social work services provided by public and private social
assistance establishments, screening, early intervention; consulting and advice
for families of mental disorder-suffering children are highly appreciated in
terms of its utility and efficiency by providers of social work services and

families of mental disorder-suffering children; In addition, other services of
supplying basic information of mental disorder in children; connection, referral,
communication, training, supplying knowledge and skills for instructing to
support mental disorder-suffering children are assessed as effective in
supporting psychological therapy for these children. However, training,
disseminating knowledge and skills of instructing support to mental disordersuffering children remain restricted; and their efficiency has not been promoted
due to interval of training and content of training program, which decrease
efficiency in combination of psychotherapy by officials, doctors, social workers
at health establishment, social assistance establishments and parents, caregivers
of these children at home to assure intervention and support with shortened
duration of treatment and bring more positive results. Services of connection
and completion of formalities for families of mental disorder-suffering children
to receive social welfares are not highly assessed due to incomplete policies,
complicated formalities and hesitating psychology of beneficiary families.
3.4. Actuality of factors affecting social work services towards mental
disorder-suffering children in Quang Ninh province
In the process of study, the obtained findings in assessing factors affecting
social work services towards mental disorder-suffering children I Quang Ninh
province are stated hereof. Feedbacks show that there are many factors
affecting the efficiency of providing social work services for mental disordersuffering children such as: factors of policies and laws; factors from social
work service providers; factors from the characteristics of mental disordersuffering children; factors from families of mental disorder-suffering children;
factors from social work service providing establishments, etc. at different
levels.
For the group of officials, doctors and social workers, they assess that
policies, laws; characteristics of mental disorder-suffering children and their

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families are the factors affecting mostly the efficiency of social work service

provision for mental disorder-suffering children. However, for the group of
parents and caregivers of mental disorder-suffering children, social work
service providers and their establishments are significant factors. It
demonstrates that disciplinary officials, doctors, social workers with intensive
knowledge can recognize that the affecting factors of the social work services
are policies and problems the children and their families are coping with. On
contrary on the side of parents, they realize that the affecting factors are social
work service providing establishments and medical workers who do direct
psychotherapy for the children. It is demonstrated that policies, officials,
doctors, social workers who directly apply psychotherapy to the mental
disorder-suffering children, have good qualification and spend much time on
dealing with the children are factors boosting up and affecting profoundly the
efficiency of assistance service provision.

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CHAPTER 4
EXPERIMENTING THE TRAINING, DISSEMINATING
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS, INSTRUCTING TO ASSIST MENTAL
DISORDER-SUFFERING CHILDREN
FOR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS
4.1. Grounds for experimenting
- From the findings on the actuality of social work services provided to
mental disorder-suffering children and their families, some restricted social
work services are chosen by the author for experimenting the effect of
enhancing efficiency of social work service provision.
- Some social work services are restricted due to the fact that parents and
caregivers of mental disorder-suffering children have not knowledge and skills
to care for mental disorder-suffering children, especially fail to instruct to

support mental disorder-suffering children at home.
- One of factors affecting significantly the intervention and improvement
rate of mental disorder-suffering children is the collaboration in instructing for
assistance towards mental disorder-suffering children at home by their parents
and caregivers, apart from the treatment periods at the health establishments or
social assistance establishments.
- Among proposals of officials, doctors, social workers, parents and
caregivers of the children: it is required to have training courses for parents and
caregivers of mental disorder-suffering children to obtain knowledge and skills
for instructing to assist mental disorder-suffering children.
- Parents’ and caregivers’ needs of being trained, equipped with in-depth
knowledge and skills to instruct and support mental disorder-suffering children
are great because of the effectiveness of this activity. Besides, most parents and
caregivers attended several training courses in the past, but not regularly and
the knowledge did not satisfy their expectations.
- According to assessment of families of mental disorder-suffering
children, training courses for parents’ and caregivers’ knowledge and skills of
instructing to assist mental disorder-suffering children were performed but not
regularly; 100 families of mental disorder-suffering children recognized that
they sometime attended a training courses held by health establishments and
social assistance establishments in Quang Ninh, which provided them with

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knowledge and skills to instruct and assist mental disorder-suffering children;
Another issue is that such training courses just offered the most basic
knowledge on mental health but did not focused on so intensive content that
parents or caregivers can instruction and assist their mental disorder-suffering
children at home. This indicates that, currently the training courses is not really

paid attention and organized on a regular and intensive basis to support their
families, while as mentioned above, officials, doctors, social workers and the
children’s families all consider this activity important in the process of
intervention and support for mental disorder-suffering children to solve
difficult problems.
- The results of the survey on the needs to be trained and equipped with
knowledge and skills to instruct and assist mental disorder-suffering children
for parents and caregivers.
4.2. Design of experimenting
- Objective of experimenting: Experimenting a training program for
enhancing knowledge and skills for instructing and assisting mental disordersuffering children for their parents and caregivers.
- Hypothesis of experimenting: At present, parents and caregivers of
mental disorder-suffering children in Quang Ninh are still restricted in some
knowledge and skills for instructing and assisting these children. Such
knowledge and skills can be enhanced through training courses for them.
- Objects of experimenting: 10 parents and caregivers of mental disordersuffering children in Ha Long city are chosen from those whose children are
under psychotherapy and rehabilitation at Quang Ninh Obstetrics and Pediatrics
Hospital, Van Don Health Center, Social Work Center and private social
assistance establishments.
- Time and location of experimenting: From June 2018 to November 2018
at Quang Ninh Social Work Center.
- Method of performance
+ Objective of the method: Training courses for enhancing knowledge and
skills of instructing and assisting mental disorder-suffering children are
organized for their parents and caregivers in 02 sessions, 03 days each time.

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+ Content of the method: Specialists are invited to offer knowledge and

skills for instructing and assisting mental disorder-suffering children at home to
their parents and caregivers.
4.3. Steps and contents to be experimented
Step 1: Prepare and set up an experimenting program
Step 2: Pre-experimenting estimation
Step 3: Training
Step 4: Post-experimenting estimation and completing
4.4. Experimenting results
- Results of experimenting indicate that its hypothesis is right. Upon the
experimenting, knowledge about mental disorder in children, performance of
skills of instructing and assisting the children were profoundly changed;
majority of parents and caregivers of mental disorder-suffering children
acquired knowledge and performed skills rather well; no one at bad rate; and
the average rate significantly reduced.
- Analysis of 02 typical cases illustrating the experimental results: After
the training, Ms. M and Ms. V has had very positive changes although at
different levels, this is a good thing for parents whose children are suffering
from mental disorder like Ms. M and Ms. V. It will open the direction of
intervention and support for mental disorder-suffering children with close
coordination between screening, assessment and psychotherapeutic
interventions by professional social workers working at health establishments,
social assistance establishments; Rehabilitation at a specialized hospital and
methodical guidance and support of parents at home; joining associations and
clubs with similar circumstances to exchange and share experiences to support
each other to solve difficulties, towards rehabilitation and social integration for
mental disorder-suffering children.
4.5. Effects and learned experiences about the experimented
intervention model
- Effects: The experimented intervention model for training, disseminating
knowledge and skills for instructing and assisting mental disorder-suffering

children for 10 parents and caregivers of these children for 6 days at Quang
Ninh Social Work Center has indicated positive results from participants,
which shall help the provision of social work services towards mental disorder-

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suffering children, direct to enhance efficiency of providing social work
services in Quang Ninh in coming time. Its results actively affect mental
disorder-suffering children, their parents and caregivers, the service providers
and providing establishments. This is an important basis for public and private
social assistance establishments to consult competent authorities in
promulgating specific policies and regimes for providing assistance services to
mental disorder-suffering children.
- Learned experiences: The author realizes that it is an effective
experimenting model for providing social work services to mental disordersuffering children. With such steps, content of experimenting and results, it
shall contribute to enhancing efficiency of supporting mental disorder-suffering
children, it is very essential model. However, it is realized that there are
shortcomings occurred during experimenting, which relate to parents,
caregivers of mental disorder-suffering children, the training program, method
of organizing, etc. These are valuable experiences that are hopefully useful for
candidates, lecturers and scientists working in the field of social works and
mental health.

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CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Conclusions
1.1. Theoretical studies demonstrate that social work services are

professional ones in the field of social work, provided by health establishments
and social assistance establishment where officials, doctors, social workers
apply their knowledge, skills and professional methods of mental health,
psychology and society to help individuals, families and communities to
enhance competence to meet demand and strengthen social function
performance; while impulsing the social environment in term of policies,
resources and services to help individuals, families and communities settle and
prevent social issues; ensure to perform basic rights of mental disordersuffering children and their families; contribute to assuring social security.
1.2. Within the scope of study, it mentions some mental disorders:
autism, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, emotional disturbance,
depression, developmental language disorder, behavioral disorder.
1.3. The social work services being provided in Quang Ninh by public
and private health establishments and social assistance establishment are
mainly screening, early intervention for mental disorder-suffering children;
consultancy and advice for families of mental disorder-suffering children;
connection, referral, policy support; communication and education for
awareness enhancement and training.
Of which, screening, early intervention for mental disorder-suffering
children; consultancy and advice for families of mental disorder-suffering
children are highly appreciated by officials, doctors, social workers and
families of mental disorder-suffering children in terms of utility rate and
efficiency. In addition, other services of supplying basic information of mental
disorder in children; connection, referral, communication, training, supplying
knowledge and skills for instructing to support mental disorder-suffering
children are assessed as effective in supporting psychological therapy for these
children. However, training, disseminating knowledge and skills of instructing
support to mental disorder-suffering children remain restricted; and their
efficiency has not been promoted due to frequency of training and content of
training program, which decrease efficiency in combination of psychotherapy

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by officials, doctors, social workers at health establishment, social assistance
establishments and parents, caregivers of these children at home to assure
intervention and support with shortened duration of treatment and bring more
positive results. Services of connection and completion of formalities for
families of mental disorder-suffering children to receive social welfares are not
highly assessed due to uncompleted policies, complicated formalities and
hesitating psychology of beneficiary families.
1.4. Currently in Quang Ninh province, social work services towards
mental disorder-suffering children are encountering factors such as: policies,
laws; providers of social work services; characteristics of mental disordersuffering children; families of mental disorder-suffering children; service
provider’s establishments, etc. at different level.
For the group of officials, doctors and social workers, they assess that
policies, laws; characteristics of mental disorder-suffering children and their
families are the factors affecting mostly the efficiency of social work service
provision for mental disorder-suffering children. However, for the group of
parents and caregivers of mental disorder-suffering children, social work
service providers and their establishments are significant factors. It is
demonstrated that policies, officials, doctors, social workers who directly apply
psychotherapy to the mental disorder-suffering children, have good
qualification and spend much time on dealing with the children are factors
impulsing and affecting profoundly the efficiency of assistance service
provision.
1.5. Applying the measure of experimenting through training: Training
courses for disseminating knowledge and skills of instructing, assisting mental
disorder-suffering children for their parents and caregivers are performed with
participation of 10 parents and caregivers of mental disorder-suffering children
in Ha Long city, lasting 6 days for 2 sessions, where instructions are made by

Dr. Nguyen Thi Kim Quy and supported by officials, social workers of Quang
Ninh Social Work Center. The training program covers supplying knowledge
about mental disorder-suffering children, screening and detection, instructing
and assisting mental disorder-suffering children; Observing sample cases (via
video where learner and lecturer play roles) and practicing towards mental
disorder-suffering children; Organize training in instructing skills to help

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