Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Emotional violence and maternal mental health: A q ualitative study among women in 
northern Vietnam  
 
Version: 2 Date: 24 Nov 2017  
 
Reviewer: Lene Symes  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
Thank you for the opportunit y to review the revised manuscript. The study findings of three 
distinct categories of emotional abuse and of the importance of the contextual kinship 
arrangements contribute to our understanding of emotional trauma. I recommend publication 
with very minor  revisions.  
 
 
 
Suggested revisions:  
 
 
1. Abstract, final sentence  
 
You have: To decrease women's vulnerability to intimate partner violence, this indicates, the 
kinship arrangements that prevail in a given society must be taken into account in policy and 
programming.  
 
 
Suggest changing to: The study findings suggest that e ffective policies and programs to decrease 
women's vulnerability to intimate partner violence must take into account the kinship 
arrangements that prevail in a given society.  
 
 
 
2. Line 37, page 10  
 
 
 
You have: centred  
 
Suggest changing to: centered  
 
 
 
 
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manus cript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an addition al statistical review is recommended, please speci fy what aspects require further 
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
Not relevant to this manuscript  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Accept able 
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary  from an 
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financial ly from the publication of this 
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation t hat may in any way gain or lose 
financially from the publicatio n of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents  relating to the content of the 
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I  declare that I have  no competing interests' 
below. If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare I have not competing interests.  
 
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to the editor s, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal