On April 6, the 2026 Mental Health Care Program for High School Students in Central Vietnam and the Central Highlands, organized by Dong A University, reached more than 2,500 students at Chu Van An High School and Con Tien Secondary and High School.
These were two of the six schools in Quang Tri  Province participating in the university’s 2026 mental health care series for high school students across Central Vietnam and the Central Highlands.
The program then continued on April 7 at Nguyen Hue High School and Huong Hoa High School. On April 8, the program expanded to schools in the former Quang Binh Province area, including Nguyen Huu Canh High School and Quang Ninh High School.
People’s Physician Dr. Lam Tu Trung, Vice President of the Vietnam Psychotherapy Association, former Director of Da Nang Psychiatric Hospital, and Director of the Psychological Counseling and Mental Health Care Center at Dong A University, shared:
“Besides academic and examination pressures and the social challenges common to school-age students, students in mountainous areas are often ‘trapped’ between difficult choices about their future, such as whether to continue studying or start working, or whether they can pursue careers aligned with their interests. Many silently struggle with feelings of disadvantage and limited opportunities, while lacking essential skills to protect their mental well-being. For senior students, graduation is not only a race of knowledge and skills but also a journey of overcoming visible and invisible pressures. They greatly need companionship, understanding, and practical support in mental health care within schools.”
During the program, teachers, students, and parents had the opportunity to directly discuss and receive guidance from experts through the practical seminar titled “Empowering the Inner Strength of Highland Students,” specially designed for students in the Central Highlands region.
Through open and approachable discussions, psychologist Dr. Nguyen Hoang Khac Hieu, Director of the Young Lion Soft Skills Research and Training Institute at Dong A University, together with experts, listened to and helped students address concerns related to academic pressure, self-identity, future orientation, and emotional well-being.
Topics included identifying and managing common psychological challenges among teenagers, mental self-protection skills, hidden feelings of loneliness and disadvantage among highland students, and career orientation in contexts with limited information. The sessions also introduced coping strategies and mental health recovery approaches—often the “hidden” foundation behind academic success and career development—while inspiring students to build confidence, unlock their inner strengths, and establish healthy mental boundaries.
At the same time, doctors from the Faculty of Medicine and the International General Clinic, together with psychologists from the Psychological Counseling and Mental Health Care Center of Dong A University, directly supported activities including psychological counseling, mental health screening and care, and free medication distribution for teachers, staff, and students.
Students also received smart career orientation counseling through the CIC Career Assessment Test, an optimized career aptitude tool that ranks career suitability based on comparisons between occupational criteria and each student’s intelligence, interests, personality traits, and expectations.
This marks the third consecutive year that Dong A University has implemented its mental health care program for high school students, supporting more than 35,000 students across Central Vietnam and the Central Highlands.
This year’s program will continue through the end of April 2026, reaching more than 15,000 students at nearly 20 high schools in Da Nang, Hue, Quang Tri, Gia Lai, and other localities under the theme: “Mental Health in Schools – Identifying and Responding to Risks in the Digital Era.”