Table 1 Key information and data collection tools

 Delay to diagnosis

Two questions:

The interval was measured in months. This interval also included the time period of having prior diagnoses such as depression, or anxiety.

 Time when abnormal symptoms were first noticed by family members

 Time of the first formal diagnosis of a psychotic illness

 Functioning scale

Adapted version of the Specific Level of Functioning Scale (SLOF)

The SLOF is a multidimensional assessment instrument which is widely used to assess people with psychotic disorders [34]. The instrument consists of six subscales and has a total of 43 items: Physical functioning (5 items), personal care skills (7 items), interpersonal relationships (7 items), social acceptability (7 items), activities (11 items), and work skills (6 items). Each item is rated using a 5-point Likert scale from 1 (poorest function) to 5 (best function). Higher scores indicate more independent functioning [35]. In this study, an adapted version of this instrument with four subscales (interpersonal relationship, social acceptability, activities and work skills) was used. This tool was translated, cultural verification, back translation and pilot tested in Vietnam.

 Income

Study-specific questions of personal income of people with SMI

The personal annual income of people with SMI included the income from the paid job, monthly financial support from the government, and other sources such as donations, or gifts from relatives. The income was measured by month.

 Expense

Study-specific questions of personal expenses of people with SMI

The personal annual expense of people with SMI covered all costs related to daily living (food, clothes), productivity of household members lost because of caring for people with an SMI, finding them when they wandered, compensation for any property that had been destroyed, and health service use (inpatients, and outpatient services). These costs of living expense were measured by month. The productivity loss was measured by day. Other costs were measured by year.

 Economic status

Study specific single question about economic status

Subjective self-assessment of household heads in terms of their household economic status when compared to the local standard. There were five options: Very poor, poor, average, better off, and rich.

 Household size

Number of people living in the family

Household members were defined as people living and having meals together at least 6 six months.

 Social capital

Short version of the modified Adapted Social Capital Assessment Tool (SASCAT) [36]

The Short SASCAT was developed in a multi-country cohort study Young Lives. It is a quantitative tool used to measure the household social capital. The instrument consists of 20 items. This tool was validated in Vietnam and Peru with translation validity, criterion validity, and cognitive validity. It was reported as a valuable tool with known constructs and internal links among variables [36]. The response categories of yes/no.