Google AI Expert Champions Mental Health Awareness in vietnam after Battling Anxiety
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A Vietnamese machine learning expert at Google,who also privately battled anxiety for years,is spearheading efforts too improve mental health support in her home country.
Nguyen khanh Linh,a Hanoi native born in 1991,achieved a groundbreaking milestone in April when Google announced she was the first Vietnamese woman to become a Google Developer Expert (GDE). But her accomplishments extend far beyond the tech world.Linh’s personal journey with anxiety has fueled a decade-long commitment to destigmatizing mental illness and providing crucial resources to those in need through her organization, Stunning Mind VN.
From Early struggles to a Formal Diagnosis
Linh’s experience with anxiety began manifesting in her childhood. Recalling her fourth and fifth grade years, she described experiencing physical symptoms at the end of each semester – fatigue, headaches, a racing heart, and excessive sweating. These episodes were frightening and unexplained, occurring in a Vietnam where, from 2005 to 2007, awareness and data surrounding mental health were severely limited. Initial medical evaluations yielded no clear answers, and she was simply prescribed nutritional supplements.
As Linh progressed through her education,including preparing for a master’s degree in AI engineering at the National University of Singapore in 2015,her anxiety intensified. She lived with serious psychological problems for years without recognizing them. “I couldn’t understand why,” she explained, describing periods where she was unable to leave her house or face social situations. A formal diagnosis of anxiety disorder finally arrived, marking a turning point
The challenges faced by many in Vietnam with mental health issues were significant. Thay were experiencing mental illness, hesitant to seek help, or faced barriers to accessing appropriate care. Even when individuals did seek medical attention, they sometimes received misdiagnoses or lacked family support. The high cost of psychotherapy further exacerbated the problem.
Beautiful Mind VN: A decade of Impact
Recognizing the urgent need for accessible facts, Linh founded Beautiful Mind VN, a website dedicated to providing accurate, scientifically-backed resources on mental illness and depression. The platform quickly became a vital source of information, amassing a library of articles that continue to be read today.
Over the past decade, Beautiful Mind VN has directly supported approximately 1,000 young people experiencing mental health problems, offering consultation, psychological first aid, and ongoing support. The organization has also hosted numerous workshops and discussions to raise public awareness and challenge prevailing stigmas. Many individuals have successfully returned to normal life, building families and pursuing careers, while others have been inspired to pursue careers in psychology.
Despite pausing active work on Beautiful Mind VN following the COVID-19 pandemic due to work commitments as an AI director at a silicon Valley startup, Linh acknowledges the enduring value of the platform and is considering ways to revitalize it.
Inspired by “A Beautiful Mind”
The name “Beautiful Mind VN” itself is a tribute to the 2001 film A Beautiful Mind, a biographical drama about mathematician John Nash and his struggle with schizophrenia. Linh and her colleagues chose the name to convey the humanist values embodied in the film, emphasizing the importance of compassion and understanding for those facing mental health challenges.
Linh’s story is a testament to the power of resilience, the importance of seeking help, and the potential to transform personal struggles into a force for positive change. her work with Beautiful Mind VN is a beacon of hope for a growing community in Vietnam, demonstrating that even in the face of adversity, a beautiful mind can truly make a difference.
