I am a Social Work faculty at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University (VNU) located in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. I am also a forth-year PhD candidate in the College of Social Work, University of South Carolina, United States (U.S.).
My research interests in mental health promotion are consistent with the objectives of ASMHSD. As a global citizen, who was born, raised, and educated in the indigenous culture of Vietnam and then has been participating in the higher education system in the U.S. as both a graduate student and a researcher, I have been developing my research interests in global mental health with foci on underserved population and culturally competent approaches. In my dissertation study, I aim at exploring the adjustment process of Vietnamese family caregivers to their caregiving role for older adults with dementia. In Vietnam, Vietnamese family caregivers confront many burdens and challenges to carrying out their roles as caregivers, which often lead to poor mental health outcomes. Mental health problems, such as dementia and depression, as well as seeking help for mental disorders, however, have been considered taboos in the Vietnamese culture. I believe that my research has the …show more content…
To be more specific, I am committed to becoming a researcher who is capable of: (1) collaborating with researchers from different disciplines and across countries; (2) applying innovative research approaches and methods to conduct culturally competent studies; and (3) providing evidence-based data to advocate mental health policies and support the development of services and service improvements targeting the needs of disadvantaged