Shattering the Stigma: The Struggle of a Vietnamese Man with Financial Stress and Anxiety-Depressive Disorder

A recent study found that men are more likely to experience anxiety and depression than women. Despite this, many men still feel hesitant to seek help due to cultural and societal pressures to uphold a strong, masculine image.

One such man is Tuan Anh, a 36-year-old middle manager from Hoan Kiem district who has been struggling with financial stress for years. Tuan Anh works long hours from 5 a.m. to midnight, pushing himself to make money to pay off his parents’ debt, buy a house, a car, and send his children to private school. However, in recent years, Tuan Anh’s income has decreased, affecting his ability to meet financial obligations. He even had to borrow money from friends to pay for his children’s education.

The financial pressure led to arguments with his wife about finances and caused him to break down in tears. His wife criticized him for showing weakness and expressed discriminatory attitudes towards him. Struggling to cope with his emotions, Tuan Anh turned to social media only to be gossiped about as being “soft and useless.” Feeling silenced and judged, he began withdrawing from society becoming quiet and angry with poor appetite and insomnia.

After seeking help at Mai Huong Psychiatric Hospital, Tuan Anh was diagnosed with mild anxiety-depressive disorder by Dr. Tran Thi Hong Thu, the Deputy Director of the hospital. Dr. Thu shared the case of a business director who hid his depression for fear of damaging his strong masculine image