Approximately 20% of children and adolescents globally are affected by mental health conditions, with suicide ranking as a leading cause of death among 15- to 29-year-olds (1). Despite the significant burden and early onset of these conditions, many cases go unnoticed and untreated.

Adolescents in low- to middle-income countries (LMICs) are more vulnerable to adverse and traumatic experiences due to negative socioeconomic, cultural, political and environmental circumstances. While substantial research exists on the effectiveness of psychological interventions for young people, most of the data relates to high-resource settings and involves high-intensity interventions by mental health professionals (2).

The absence of data in most LMICs makes it difficult to determine which interventions should be scaled up to provide more support for young people. Effective and sustainable interventions to address the global burden of mental problem in children and adolescents require evidence-based research that fully acknowledges the social, cultural and economic challenges.

Hence, it is essential to address the research gaps in epidemiology, intervention and implementation approaches to improve child and adolescent mental health in low-resource settings. Furthermore, implementation research is necessary to better understand the feasibility, acceptance and cost of interventions in specific settings before implementation or expansion.

Focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews (IDIs) will explore perceptions of students, parents, school staff and experts towards relational wellbeing (RWB) and its application in promoting mental health and wellbeing among adolescents in Vietnam.

Ten IDIs with mental health experts and youth development experts, along with FGDs involving 12 students, six parents and six teachers, will provide qualitative insights into the RWB approach and adolescents’ connectedness. Participants will be selected from schools outside the target and control groups to avoid bias.

The findings will guide the design of the baseline survey and pilot intervention. The baseline survey will investigate the influence of personal, societal and environmental factors on mental health and wellbeing among adolescents. It will also establish outcome and impact metrics prior to implementing the RWB approach with digital interventions.

The interventions will include capacity building for young leaders, youth-led and behaviour-change campaigns, a youth engagement app, and tailoring support via digital platforms such as the Vietnamese messaging app Zalo. With the adoption of a relational approach to address gaps related to adolescents’ mental health and wellbeing, this study holds the potential to gain new insights and guide future actions to promote adolescents’ mental health and wellbeing in Vietnam and the Global South.

1. To explore adolescents’ and stakeholders’ perspectives on RWB and use an RWB approach and digital platform to promote mental wellbeing (self-esteem, self-efficacy and self-confidence) and mental health (reducing stress, anxiety and depression) among Vietnamese adolescents.

2. To investigate the interactive impacts of personal, societal and environmental drivers on mental wellbeing (self-esteem, self-efficacy and self-confidence) and mental health (stress, anxiety and depression) among adolescents in Vietnam.

3. To use key lessons from applying the RWB approach to tailor digital interventions to enhance mental wellbeing and health among adolescents in Vietnam

Following the interventions, an end-line evaluation will be conducted using the same respondents and methods as in the baseline survey to reassess the expected outcomes and impact metrics. The results will confirm whether the RWB approaches combined with digital interventions improve mental wellbeing and mental health among Vietnamese adolescents.

Additionally, FGDs and IDIs with targeted students and stakeholders will document feedback and lessons learned, offering insights into effective strategies for promoting mental wellbeing and mental health.