Associate Professor Doctor Nguyen An Khai, from the Mental Health Unit, Neuroscience Center, Tam Anh General Hospital Ho Chi Minh City, stated that mental illnesses often progress subtly. Initial symptoms such as insomnia, anxiety, prolonged stress, reduced concentration, fatigue, and decreased academic and work performance are easily overlooked. Patients may also experience headaches, neck and shoulder pain, palpitations, shortness of breath, and digestive issues. These non-specific symptoms are frequently mistaken for common ailments.

According to Doctor Khai, if these symptoms persist for more than hai weeks, recur frequently, or significantly impact work, studies, relationships, and daily life, individuals should seek psychiatric care. It is crucial to avoid enduring the symptoms or self-medicating with sedatives or sleeping pills.

Other warning signs include prolonged sadness, loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, excessive anxiety, panic attacks, obsessions, significant personality changes, irritability, unwarranted suspicion, and experiencing auditory or visual hallucinations. Individuals expressing thoughts of self-harm or exhibiting suicidal behavior require immediate intervention.

Doctor An Khai consults a patient on treatment. *Photo: Tam Anh General Hospital*

The doctor advises high-risk individuals to seek early consultation if they experience any emotional, behavioral, or cognitive abnormalities. This includes those who frequently experience stress, prolonged insomnia, chronic illnesses, postpartum women, or individuals with a family history of mental illness.

Psychiatric consultation serves not only to diagnose conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia but also aids in the early detection of cognitive disorders, dementia, and sleep disorders.

Following a comprehensive assessment, which may include clinical examination, psychological scales, laboratory tests, imaging, and neuropsychological testing, doctors develop an individualized treatment plan. Depending on the case, treatment may involve medication, psychotherapy, lifestyle adjustments, cognitive rehabilitation, or repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) when indicated.

Doctor Khai emphasized that mental illnesses can be effectively managed with early detection and treatment. Patients should not hesitate or delay seeking help, as timely intervention improves quality of life, reduces the risk of disease progression, and limits complications affecting health, work, and relationships.

Trong Nghia