Strong family bonds and stress during a health crisis in Vietnam

Abstract Although stress and mental health challenges during crises have been widely documented, limited attention has been given to how strong family bonds may also transmit or amplify stress among family members. This dynamic, often reflected in the idea that the suffering of one member affects the entire group, remains particularly understudied in culturally family-oriented contexts such as Vietnam. This study investigates stress patterns among 988 Vietnamese respondents and examines the factors associated with stress using the COVID-19 pandemic as a case study of crisis impact. We employ the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and integrate Conservation of Resources Theory, the Social Determinants Framework, and the Family Systems-Illness Model in our analysis. The key finding highlights how strong family bonds in Vietnamese culture intensify stress levels when family members become infected with the virus, particularly due to, e.g., caregiving responsibilities and the emotional burden of being physically separated from ill family members. Policymakers, when designing interventions to address mental health challenges, should not only focus on individuals directly experiencing illness but also consider the well-being of other family members. The findings should be interpreted with caution, given the cross-sectional design and the context-specific nature of the study.