Gender and Alcohol Consumption as Determinants of Psychological Distress in Disabled Individuals in Vietnam

Background: Mental health issues, including anxiety and depression, are common among individuals with disabilities, frequently intensified by socio-demographic factors such as gender and lifestyle choices. There is a paucity of studies regarding the mental health of those with disabilities in Vietnam, especially concerning psychological distress. Purpose: This study intends to investigate the prevalence of anxiety and depression among disabled individuals in Vietnam and to analyze the variations in psychological distress. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was utilized, employing the Vietnamese versions of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item scale (PHQ-9) to evaluate anxiety and depression, respectively. Descriptive statistics were computed, and independent-samples t-tests were employed to assess the differences in mental health outcomes. Results: Disabled people with depression accounted for 39.8%, whereas mild depression took 64.4% compared to the total. Besides that, the anxiety disorder of disabled people made up for 57.7%, with the highest percentage of minimal anxiety, 49.1%. Disabled people who had psychological disorders were 61.41% in total. More specifically, disabled women (M = 0.80, SD = 0.578) often report higher levels of depression than disabled men (M = 0.71, SD = 0.501); disabled female participants (M = 0.77, SD = 0.624) also displayed higher degrees of anxiety symptoms. Disabled persons who ingested alcohol (M = 0.47, SD = 0.355) experienced less psychological distress relative to those who refrained from alcohol consumption (M = 0.75, SD = 0.537). Conclusion: The research underscores the considerable mental health difficulties encountered by disabled individuals in Vietnam, especially among women. Gender and alcohol intake were identified as significant determinants in psychological distress, highlighting the necessity for gender-sensitive mental health interventions and tailored assistance for this demographic. Received: 27 November 2024 / Accepted: 2 January 2024 / Published: 11 January 2025