Psychological distress among parents with emigrant offspring: A mixed-methods study from Changunarayan Municipality, Nepal.

Background: The growing trend of international migration has significant socio-emotional implications for families left behind, particularly the left-behind parents. While much research focuses on the well-being of migrants, limited studies explore the psychological distress experienced by left-behind parents. This study assesses the prevalence and determinants of psychological distress among parents with emigrant offspring in Changunarayan Municipality, Nepal.

Self-esteem among People Living with Physical Disability Visting Rehabilitation Centers of Kathmandu, Nepal: An Observational Study.

Introduction: Self-esteem is a comprehensive personal evaluation of an individual's worth that involves a person's perception of self, it functions as a defense mechanism that individuals possess to safeguard themselves from psychological harm. This study aims to assess the prevalence of selfesteem and its associated factors among people living with physical disability.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among people living with a physical disability residing inside Kathmandu Valley from August to November 2022 after acquiring ethical approval from institutional review committee of CiST College (Reference number: IRC/161/078/079).

Development and validation of Mental Health Literacy Assessment Scale among community health workers in Nepal.

Objective: To develop and validate the Mental Health Literacy Assessment Scale for assessing mental health literacy among community health workers.

Method: A total of 24 items were initially generated and refined through cognitive interviews and expert evaluation. The final scale consisted of 20 items.

Nepal's mental health system from public health perspective: a thematic synthesis based on health system building blocks.

This study evaluates Nepal's mental health system through the World Health Organization's six building blocks: governance, financing, workforce, service delivery, essential medicines, and information systems. Despite policy advances toward integrating mental health services within primary care, significant challenges persist, including governance fragmentation, workforce shortages, insufficient funding, inconsistent availability of essential psychotropic medications, and a weak health information infrastructure. Federalization has introduced both opportunities and challenges for mental health governance across the different tiers of government.

Mental health literacy among basic healthcare providers and community health volunteers of Lalitpur Metropolitan City, Nepal.

Background: Mental health literacy (MHL) is particularly essential for primary healthcare providers for the early recognition and management of mental disorders. In Nepal, mid-level healthcare workers and Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) play a vital role in community-based mental health services, yet their MHL remains insufficiently studied. This study assesses MHL among basic healthcare providers and health volunteers in Lalitpur Metropolitan City, Nepal and identifies factors associated with it.

Unpacking beauty norms and body image: Development and validation of the perceptions of beauty standards scale.

Objectives: Perceptions of beauty, deeply rooted in societal norms, significantly impact self-esteem, self-concept, and mental well-being. This study aimed to develop and validate the Perceptions of Beauty Standards Scale, a tool designed to assess how individuals perceive societal beauty standards.

Methods: The Perceptions of Beauty Standards Scale was developed and validated following extensive literature review, expert consultation and survey among 313 adolescents in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice on Antibiotic Use and Resistance Among Undergraduates, Pokhara Metropolitan, Nepal.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health problem contributing to increasing rates of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Inadequate knowledge and misconceptions surrounding antibiotics and their overuse can significantly contribute to the growth and spread of AMR. This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding antibiotic use and resistance among undergraduates in Pokhara, Nepal, and examine associations of knowledge and attitudes with demographic factors and specific antibiotic use practices.

Hypertension and its Associated Factors in a Middle-Aged Population.

Background: Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, and dementia. Early detection and management are crucial for preventing these complications. However, many people lack awareness regarding their blood pressure.

Exploring the association between sleep quality, internet addiction, and related factors among adolescents in Dakshinkali Municipality, Nepal.

Background: Poor sleep quality and internet addiction are significant issues affecting adolescents globally, and Nepal is no exception. Several studies have independently assessed the prevalence and associated factors of poor sleep quality and internet addiction among Nepali adolescents and youth, but the relationship between sleep-related attributes and internet addiction remains unexplored. This study aimed to explore the prevalence and contributing factors of poor sleep quality and internet addiction along with the relationship between sleep quality-related attributes and internet addiction.

Problematic alcohol consumption among management undergraduates of Bhaktapur District, Nepal.

Background: Alcohol consumption is a significant public health concern among young people worldwide. While alcohol use is culturally embedded in many Nepalese communities, evidence regarding the prevalence of problematic drinking and its associated factors remains scarce among youths. This study aims to assess the prevalence of alcohol consumption and problematic drinking and their associated factors among management undergraduate students of Bhaktapur, Nepal.

Menstruation experiences and its association with psychological distress among school-going adolescent girls of Nepal: A cross-sectional study.

This study aimed to assess the relationship between menstruation-related attributes and mental distress in adolescent girls. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Rangeli Municipality, Nepal, among 270 adolescent girls. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire.

Exploring the Sociodemographic Factors and Consequences related to Alcohol Consumption among Older Indigenous Community of a District in Nepal: A Qualitative Study.

Introduction: Alcoholism is a major global public health concern associated with numerous health conditions. Alcohol use has been a cultural part of several ethnic groups in Nepal. This study aimed to explore the qualitative dimension of alcohol use, its promoting factors, and consequences in Nepalese communities.

Risky sexual behaviour and its determinants among undergraduate students residing in hostels of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Nepal: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of risky sexual behaviour (RSB) and its associated factors among Nepalese undergraduates residing in hostels of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Nepal.

Design: Cross-sectional study SETTING: Hostels operating inside Kathmandu Metropolitan City were taken as the study setting.

Participant: A total of 361 undergraduate students residing in hostels in the Metropolitan City OUTCOME MEASURES: RSB was the outcome measure assessed using nine questions able to trace any risky sexual practice practiced by the participants within the past year prior to data collection.

Depressive symptoms and its associated factors among secondary school adolescents of Birtamod Municipality, Jhapa, Nepal.

Depression is a rising public health concern affecting adolescents' mental health throughout the world. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence of depressive symptoms and its associated factors among adolescents from urban Nepal. The depressive symptoms among 271 randomly selected secondary school adolescents of Britamod Municipality were assessed using Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D).

Social and mental health impact of COVID-19 pandemic among health professionals of Gandaki Province, Nepal: A mixed method study.

Background: The frontline health workers are the key players in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, however, several incidences of attacks, stigmatization, and discrimination towards them have been reported throughout the world during the peak of infection. The social impact experienced by health professionals can alter their efficiency and also lead to mental distress. This study aimed to examine the extent of social impact experienced by health professionals currently working in Gandaki Province, Nepal along with the factors associated with their depression status.

Antenatal depression and its associated factors among women of Godawari Municipality, Lalitpur, Nepal: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of antenatal depression and identify its associated factors among pregnant women of Godawari Municipality, Lalitpur, Nepal.

Design: Community-based cross-sectional study.

Setting: Godawari Municipality, Lalitpur, Nepal, between September and November 2021.

The Coronavirus Pandemic: What Does the Evidence Show?

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a newly emerged disease that has become a global public health concern as it rapidly spread around the world. The etiologic agent responsible for this disease has been named as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses as it shows similar genomic features to that of SARS-CoV which caused a pandemic in 2002. This disease first appeared in Hubei province of China and it follows human-to-human transmission but the path this virus took to set up human infection remains a mystery.