Somatization and Treatment in Vietnamese Youth

描述（由申请人提供）：这个拟议的FIRCA将主要在越南岘港精神病院进行，与Trung T. Lam, m.d.合作，作为NIH拨款号的延伸。R01 mh070865（04/01/2005 - 02/28/2010）。这项研究是范德比尔特大学Bahr Weiss博士（PI）和越南岘港精神病院副院长Lam Trung医学博士（联合PI和主要外国合作者）以及其他一些越南和西方合作者的合作成果。该FIRCA的最终目标是(a)提高岘港精神病医院（越南）在儿童心理健康方面的研究能力，以及(b)在此过程中，提高我们对儿童心理健康的基础和临床研究方面的知识，特别是与儿童、青少年和年轻人（以下简称“青年”）的躯体化问题及其成功治疗相关的行为、社会和文化过程。这些广泛的目标将通过实施两个具体目标来实现。具体目标#1是与Trung博士和岘港精神病院的其他几位教师进行两个合作研究项目。第一个合作项目将侧重于越南青年的个体和群体躯体化（“大规模心因性疾病”）。在越南，包括大规模心因性疾病在内的躯体化日益被精神卫生专业人员视为一个严重问题，本系列研究将侧重于确定躯体化的相关因素，这些因素被假设为：(a)躯体化发展的风险因素，包括与抑郁和焦虑等“心理”症状（与头痛等“身体”症状相反）相关的耻辱，以及(b)与躯体化相关的结果。第二个合作项目将侧重于对越南目前使用的心理健康干预措施进行经验评估，以及如何制定和成功传播具有更大功效的文化上适当的干预措施。具体目标2是举办一系列培训研讨会和会议，为岘港精神病院的教员（以及其他感兴趣的专业人员）提供培训，以补充从合作项目中学习的学徒模式。会议将集中讨论与这些项目有关的主题，例如越南青年精神病理学的本土治疗方法。这些会议还将提供与来自全国各地的广泛专业人员讨论这些主题的机会，并提供一个传播初步调查结果的场所。公共卫生相关性：拟议的项目侧重于儿童的心理健康，特别是儿童的躯体化问题，确定躯体化的相关性，并对越南目前使用的心理健康干预措施进行实证评估。因此，它与公共卫生直接相关。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposed FIRCA will be done primarily in Vietnam at the Danang Psychiatric Hospital in collaboration with Trung T. Lam, M.D., as an extension of NIH Grant No. R01 MH070865 (04/01/2005 - 02/28/2010). This research represents a collaboration between Bahr Weiss, Ph.D. (PI), Vanderbilt University, and (b) Lam Trung, M.D. (co-PI and Major Foreign Collaborator), Vice-Director, Danang Psychiatric Hospital, Vietnam, as well as several additional Vietnamese and Western collaborators. Ultimate goals of this FIRCA are (a) to increase research capacity vis-`-vis children's mental health at the Danang Psychiatric Hospital (Vietnam), and (b) in the process, advance our knowledge regarding basic and clinical research aspects of children's mental health, in particular in regards to behavioral, social, and cultural processes related to somatization problems and their successful treatment, in children, adolescents, and young adults (hereafter referred to as "youth"). These broad goals will be achieved through implementation of two Specific Aims. Specific Aim #1 is to conduct two collaborative research projects with Dr. Trung and several other faculty at the Danang Psychiatric Hospital. The first collaborative projects will focus on individual and group ("mass psychogenic illness") somatization among Vietnamese youth. Somatization, including mass psychogenic illness, is increasingly being recognized as a serious problem in Vietnam by mental health professionals, and this series of studies will focus on identifying correlates of somatization hypothesized to be (a) risk factors for the development of somatization including stigma associated with "psychological" symptoms such as depression and anxiety (as opposed to "bodily" symptoms such as headaches) and (b) outcomes associated with somatization. The second collaborative project will focus on an empirical assessment of current mental health interventions in use in Vietnam, and how culturally appropriate interventions with greater efficacy may be developed and successfully disseminated. Specific Aim #2 is to conduct a series of training seminars and conferences that will provide training for the faculty at the Danang Psychiatric Hospital (as well as other interested professionals) that will complement the apprenticeship model learning from the collaborative projects. The conferences will focus on topics related to these projects, such as indigenous treatment approaches for psychopathology in Vietnamese youth. The conferences also will provide opportunities to discuss these topics with a broad spectrum of professionals from around the country as well as provide a venue for dissemination of preliminary findings. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed project focuses on children's mental health, in particular somatization problems in children, identifying correlates of somatization, and empirical assessment of current mental health interventions in use in Vietnam. It therefore is directly relevant to public health.