COVID-19 is among the tremendous negative pandemics that have been recorded in human history. The study was conducted to give a breakdown of the effect of post-COVID-19 mental health among individuals residing in a developing country. The two scales, namely DASS-21 and IES-R, were employed to collect the essential related data. The findings indicated that anxiety was a typical and common mental issue among the population, including up to 56.75% of the participants having extremely severe anxiety, 13.18% reporting severe anxiety. Notably, no one has anxiety and depression under moderate levels. Additionally, there is 51.92% depression and 43.64% stress ranging from severe to extremely severe levels. Furthermore, there were significant statistical differences among the data on stress, anxiety, and depression according to gender (males and females) and subgroups (students, the elderly, and medical healthcare workers). Besides, the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder in the study was relatively high, especially when compared to the figures reported by the World Health Organization. Moreover, stress, anxiety, and depression all displayed positive correlations with post-traumatic stress disorder. This is big data on the mental health of the entire population that helps the country’s government propose policy strategies to support, medical care and social security for the population.

Abdalla, S. M., Rosenberg, S. B., Cohen, G. H., et al. (2023). Disruptions to the social determinants of health and mental health indicators during the pandemic in eight countries. SSM—Mental Health, 4, 100249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2023.100249

Al Jowf, G. I., Ahmed, Z. T., An, N., et al. (2022). A Public Health Perspective of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(11), 6474. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116474

Benke, C., Asselmann, E., Entringer, T. M., et al. (2022). The role of pre-pandemic depression for changes in depression, anxiety, and loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic: Results from a longitudinal probability sample of adults from Germany. European Psychiatry, 65(1). https://doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.2339

Bierman, A., Schieman, S. (2020). Social Estrangement and Psychological Distress before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Patterns of Change in Canadian Workers. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 61(4), 398–417. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022146520970190

Brooks, S. K., Webster, R. K., Smith, L. E., et al. (2020). The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence. The lancet, 395(10227), 912–920. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30460-8

Carmassi, C., Tosato, S., Bertelloni, C. A., et al. (2022). PTSD trajectories across different mental disorders in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy: a naturalistic, longitudinal, multicenter study. International Review of Psychiatry, 34(7–8), 797–808. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540261.2022.2145184

Chimbutane, F., Herrera-Almanza, C., Karachiwalla, N., et al. (2023). COVID-19 school closures and mental health of adolescent students: Evidence from rural Mozambique. SSM—Mental Health, 3, 100203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2023.100203

Cục Y tế dự phòng, Bộ Y tế. (2020a). Directive no 15/CT-TTg about a drastic implementation in preventing COVID-19 during a peak period. Available online: https://vncdc.gov.vn/chi-thi-so-15ct-ttg-ngay-2732020-cua-thu-tuong-chinh-phu-ve-quyet-liet-thuc-hien-dot-cao-diem-phong-chong-dich-covid-19-mdef1629105793611a2e81741ae.html (accessed on 9 January 2024).

Cục Y tế dự phòng, Bộ Y tế. (2020b). Directive no 16/CT-TTg about implementing imperative solutions to prevent COVID-19. Available online: https://vncdc.gov.vn/chi-thi-so-16ct-ttg-ngay-3132020-cua-thu-tuong-chinh-phu-ve-thuc-hien-cac-bien-phap-cap-bach-phong-chong-dich-covid-19-mdef1629106224611a30307fff8.html (accessed on 9 January 2024).

Cục Y tế dự phòng, Bộ Y tế. (2020c). Directive no 19/CT-TTg about implementing preventing solution to COVID-19 in a new era. Available online: https://vncdc.gov.vn/thu-tuong-chi-thi-tiep-tuc-cac-bien-phap-phong-chong-dich-covid-19-trong-tinh-hinh-moi-nd15509.html (accessed on 9 January 2024).

da Cunha Varella, A. P., Griffin, E., Khashan, A., et al. (2024). Suicide rates before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-024-02617-1

Dewhurst, E., Ettman, C. K., Hare Bork, R., et al. (2023). Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Governmental Public Health Workforce and General Population. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 30(1), E14–E20. https://doi.org/10.1097/phh.0000000000001837

Donnelly, R., & Farina, M. P. (2021). How do state policies shape experiences of household income shocks and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic? Social Science & Medicine, 269, 113557. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113557

Duong, C. B., Van Tran, N., Nguyen, A. H., et al. (2023). Impacts of COVID-19 crisis and some related factors on the mental health of 37150 Vietnamese students: a cross-sectional online study. BMC Public Health, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15317-3

Etienne K. (2023). It’s time to harness the power of connection for our health and well-being. Available online: https://www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/it-s-time-to-harness-the-power-of-connection-for-our-health-and-well-being (accessed on 8 January 2024).

Galea, S., Merchant, R. M., & Lurie, N. (2020). The Mental Health Consequences of COVID-19 and Physical Distancing. JAMA Internal Medicine, 180(6), 817. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.1562

Ganesan, B., Al-Jumaily, A., Fong, K. N. K., et al. (2021). Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Outbreak Quarantine, Isolation, and Lockdown Policies on Mental Health and Suicide. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.565190

Giannopoulou, I., Galinaki, S., Kollintza, E., et al. (2021). COVID‑19 and post‑traumatic stress disorder: The perfect ‘storm’ for mental health (Review). Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, 22(4). https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2021.10596

Grace, M. K. (2021). COVID-19 bereavement, depressive symptoms, and binge drinking. SSM - Mental Health, 1, 100041. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2021.100041

Ho Chi Minh City Center for Diseses Control. (2022). Ho Chi Minh City: Epidemic situation in week 52. Available online: https://hcdc.vn/tphcm-tinh-hinh-dich-benh-tuan-52-tinh-den-ngay-25122022-7ddd5c284b0444f1bdd3df683fab41dd.html (accessed on 16 January 2024).

Huynh, P. T. A., & Bui, T. T. (2024). Household-level demographic and socio-economic vulnerability in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic in rural Central Vietnam. Research in Globalization, 8, 100186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resglo.2023.100186

Kang, L., Li, Y., Hu, S., et al. (2020). The mental health of medical workers in Wuhan, China dealing with the 2019 novel coronavirus. The Lancet. Psychiatry, 7(3), e14. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30047-X

Kang, L., Ma, S., Chen, M., et al. (2020). Impact on mental health and perceptions of psychological care among medical and nursing staff in Wuhan during the 2019 novel coronavirus disease outbreak: A cross-sectional study. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 87, 11–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2020.03.028

Kathirvel, N. (2020). Post COVID-19 pandemic mental health challenges. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 53, 102430. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102430

Kato, T. A., Sartorius, N., & Shinfuku, N. (2020). Forced social isolation due to COVID‐19 and consequent mental health problems: Lessons from hikikomori. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 74(9), 506–507. https://doi.org/10.1111/pcn.13112

Kudoh, R., Komiya, K., Shinohara, A., et al. (2023). Marital status and post-COVID-19 conditions. Respiratory Investigation, 61(2), 181–185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resinv.2023.01.001

Lueck, J. A., Callaghan, T., & Scherr, S. (2021). Suicidal Ideation During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Investigating Mental Health, COVID-19 Health Beliefs, and News Media Consumption in the United States Population in the Year 2020. OMEGA—Journal of Death and Dying, 88(3), 1168–1180. https://doi.org/10.1177/00302228211062361

Ministry of Planning and Investment—General Statistics Office. (2021). Report on the COVID-19 Impacts on Labour and Employment Situation in the Third Quarter of 2021. Available online: https://www.gso.gov.vn/en/data-and-statistics/2021/10/report-on-the-covid-19-impacts-on-labour-and-employment-situation-in-the-third-quarter-of-2021/ (accessed on 8 January 2024).

Nearchou, F., Flinn, C., Niland, R., et al. (2020). Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health Outcomes in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(22), 8479. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17228479

Nguyen, H. B., Nguyen, T. H. M., Vo, T. H. N., et al. (2022). Post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and related factors among COVID-19 patients during the fourth wave of the pandemic in Vietnam. International Health, 15(4), 365–375. https://doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/ihac040

Nguyen, N. P. T., Nguyen, H. P. A., Dang, C. K., et al. (2024). Mental Health Among Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Vietnam. Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, 57(1), 37–46. https://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.23.327

Ojha, S., & Thapa, S. B. (2023). Psychological distress and suicidality in psychiatric patients during the COVID-19 pandemic in Norway: A repeated cross-sectional study. SSM—Mental Health, 4, 100286. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2023.100286

Panchal, N., Kamal, R., Orgera, K., et al. (2021). The implications of COVID-19 for mental health and substance use. Kaiser family foundation, 21, 1–16.

Patel, K., Robertson, E., Kwong, A. S. F., et al. (2022). Psychological Distress Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Adults in the United Kingdom Based on Coordinated Analyses of 11 Longitudinal Studies. JAMA Network Open, 5(4), e227629. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.7629

Population and Family Planning Sub-department. (2023). How much is the current total population of Ho Chi Minh City. Available online: https://dansohcm.gov.vn/tin-chuyen-nghanh/12033/tong-dan-tp-hcm-hien-nay-bao-nhieu/ (accessed on 8 January 2024).

Preti, E., Di Mattei, V., Perego, G., et al. (2020). The Psychological Impact of Epidemic and Pandemic Outbreaks on Healthcare Workers: Rapid Review of the Evidence. Current Psychiatry Reports, 22(8). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-020-01166-z

Que, J., Shi, L., Deng, J., et al. (2020). Psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers: a cross-sectional study in China. General Psychiatry, 33(3), e100259. https://doi.org/10.1136/gpsych-2020-100259

Romero, M., Caicedo, M., Díaz, A., et al. (2023). Post-COVID-19 syndrome: Descriptive analysis based on a survivors’ cohort in Colombia. Global Epidemiology, 6, 100126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloepi.2023.100126

Schieman, S., Badawy, P. J., A. Milkie, M., et al. (2021). Work-Life Conflict During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World, 7, 237802312098285. https://doi.org/10.1177/2378023120982856.

Son, H. V., Thien, Đ. T., Quan, B. H., et al. (2022). Measures for caring students’ post-COVID-19 mental health: School management approach. Scientific Journal, 19(7), 1002.

Stroebe, M., Schut, H., & Stroebe, W. (2007). Health outcomes of bereavement. The lancet, 370(9603), 1960–1973.

Thang, N. V., Binh, N. T., Anh, V. M., et al. (2024). Depression, anxiety, and stress among patients after 12 months of COVID-19 recovery. Thai Binh Medical Journal, 10.

Thomas, N., Gurvich, C., Huang, K., et al. (2022). The underlying sex differences in neuroendocrine adaptations relevant to Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, 66, 100995. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yfrne.2022.100995

Thuy, N. T. T., Anh, N. T., & Than, N. H. (2023). The impacts of post-COVID pandemic on physical and mental health of medical healthcare workers and university students diagnosed with COVID-19 in Binh Duong Province and Ho Chi Minh City. Thu Dau Mot University Scientific Journal.

Tudor, L., Harenwall, S., Henderson, R., et al. (2023). Post-covid-19 syndrome: Self-compassion and psychological flexibility moderate the relationship between physical symptom load and psychosocial impact. Acta Psychologica, 241, 104093. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2023.104093

Umberson, D., & Chen, M. D. (1994). Effects of a Parent’s Death on Adult Children: Relationship Salience and Reaction to Loss. American Sociological Review, 59(1), 152. https://doi.org/10.2307/2096138

Vadivel, R., Shoib, S., El Halabi, S., et al. (2021). Mental health in the post-COVID-19 era: challenges and the way forward. General Psychiatry, 34(1), e100424. https://doi.org/10.1136/gpsych-2020-100424

Wakam, G. K., Montgomery, J. R., Biesterveld, B. E., et al. (2020). Not Dying Alone—Modern Compassionate Care in the Covid-19 Pandemic. New England Journal of Medicine, 382(24), e88. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmp2007781

World Health Organization (WHO). (2022). Mental health and COVID-19: early evidence of the pandemic’s impact: scientific brief, 2 March 2022. Available online: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-2019-nCoV-Sci_Brief-Mental_health-2022.1 (accessed on 19 January 2024).

World Health Organization (WHO). (2023). Coronavirus disease (Covid-19): Post Covid-19 condition, 28 March 2023. World Health Organization. Available online: https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/coronavirus-disease-(covid-19)-post-covid-19-condition (accessed on 8 January 2024).

Xiong, J., Lipsitz, O., Nasri, F., et al. (2020). Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in the general population: A systematic review. Journal of Affective Disorders, 277, 55–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.08.001

Young, K. S., Purves, K. L., Hübel, C., et al. (2022). Depression, anxiety and PTSD symptoms before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. Psychological Medicine, 53(12), 5428–5441. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291722002501

Zacher, M., Raker, E. J., Meadows, M. C., et al. (2023). Mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in a longitudinal study of Hurricane Katrina survivors. SSM—Mental Health, 3, 100198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2023.100198

Zhu, C., Zhang, T., Li, Q., et al. (2022). Depression and Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Epidemiology, Mechanism, and Treatment. Neuroscience Bulletin, 39(4), 675–684. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12264-022-00970-2

Zhu, Y., Li, Y., & Xu, X. (2022). Suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in psychiatric patients during the COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Research, 317, 114837. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114837