Rachel Keck, MPH global health student, traveled to Vietnam over the summer to collaborate with the Center for Training and Research on Substance Abuse — HIV (CREATA-H) at Hanoi Medical University and WeCare Social Enterprise, exploring how changes in the environment impact mental health in agricultural communities. CREATA-H partners with the WeCare Social Enterprise, an organization that focuses on improving healthcare services for underserved populations through community outreach services that include HIV prevention, mental health, and sexual health among adolescents and families. Keck worked closely alongside this team to understand how climate change impacts mental health in Vietnam.
“I learned more about myself, the world, and the country of Vietnam,” said Keck in a blog post about her practicum, published by the Gillings School of Global Public Health. “I had little understanding of Vietnam’s agricultural abundance and their susceptibility to extreme weather events before arriving to the country. Through research and discussions in the office about Vietnam’s climate change events to witnessing agricultural practices that have been passed down through generations, I have discovered the numerous ways in which climatic events can disrupt cultural identities and inflict mental health challenges within the country.”
The Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases oversees UNC Project Vietnam. Vivian Go, PhD, professor of health behavior at the Gillings School of Global Public Health, is the country director.