DOI: 10.20935/mhealthwellb8427 ISSN: 2997-9196

A framework for mindfulness-based social-emotional learning in Vietnamese schools

Phi-Bao Nguyen-Ngoc, Thien-Vu Giang, Van-Son Huynh
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Adolescent mental health has become an increasing concern in Vietnam and Southeast Asia, where schools are expected to play a stronger role in wellbeing promotion. Although social-emotional learning (SEL) and mindfulness-based approaches have both shown promise in promoting students’ psychological wellbeing, their integration in Vietnamese schools remains underdeveloped. This paper proposes a framework for mindfulness-based social-emotional learning (MBSEL) in Vietnamese schools. A narrative review was conducted through searches of Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar, supplemented by reference-list screening, to identify English-language conceptual, empirical, and policy literature on SEL, mindfulness, adolescent development, school mental health, and culturally responsive education published up to June 2026. The literature was critically synthesized to examine conceptual connections, intervention evidence, and implications for Vietnam. The synthesis indicates that mindfulness and SEL are complementary. Existing MBSEL-related programs provide encouraging but uneven evidence, with stronger support for stress reduction, emotion regulation, and self-compassion than for interpersonal and school-climate outcomes. The proposed framework positions mindfulness as a facilitating mechanism supporting SEL competencies among students, teachers, and other school stakeholders, thereby contributing to safer, more caring, and respectful environments aligned with Vietnam’s Happy School initiatives. As a narrative review without formal quality or risk-of-bias appraisal, the synthesis may be affected by selection and language bias and does not support definitive causal conclusions. MBSEL should therefore be implemented through cultural adaptation, teacher preparation, whole-school support, and rigorous empirical evaluation.

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