NepMed Repository :: Browsing by Author "Sharma, Pawan"

Browsing by Author "Sharma, Pawan"

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Development and Use of Suicide Registry for Recording Patient Profile with Self-harm Visiting Tertiary Hospital of Nepal: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study
(Nepal Medical Association, 2024) Sharma, Pawan; Bhandari, Anup Raj; Shakya, Rabi; Sapkota, Nidesh; Joshi, Sulochana; Bhattarai, Gaurav; Shah, Bigya; Marahatta, Kedar
Abstract Introduction: Suicide is a major public health concern globally as well as in Nepal. It is important to have baseline data regarding suicide attempts to develop a prevention strategy. This study aims to describe the methodology used to develop a suicide registry and use it to collect data from patient visiting emergency or psychiatric outpatient department with suicide attempts in a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted retrospectively after obtaining ethical approval (Reference number: drs2005211371) from institutional review committee. Total sampling was done from the database covering the period from October 1, 2017, to September 30, 2023. The database was in the form of suicide registry that was developed after reviewing the existing data of primary health care centres, private hospitals, and tertiary care centers and a series of discussions among mental health experts. Data was entered in Microsoft Excel and analysis was done. Results: Among the 248 patients, there were 109 (43.95%) male and 139 (56.05%) female. There were 209 (84.27%) patients who attempted suicide inside home, poisoning was seen in 90 (36.29%) and 183 (73.79%) had impulsive intention. Out of total patients, 59 (23.79%) had prior communication and 84 (33.87%) had previous attempts, 109 (43.95%) patients had impulsive attempts as diagnosis and 75 (30.24%) had depression. Conclusions: As per the suicide registry, most of the patients attempted suicide inside home and the most common method used was ingestion of poison.
Interpersonal Violence during the COVID-19 Lockdown Period in Nepal: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study
(Nepal Medical Association, 2020) Ghimire, Calvin; Acharya, Sajan; Shrestha, Carmina; KC, Prabhat; Singh, Swarndeep; Sharma, Pawan
Abstract: Introduction: The government issued a country-wide lockdown in Nepal as a measure to curb the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. This has resulted in various difficult experiences which includes financial loss, separation from loved ones, grief, uncertainty over disease status and loss of freedom. During these stressful situations, interpersonal violence is likely to be aggravated. To avoid the occurrence of adverse events such as impulsive acts, homicide, or suicide, it is important to identify high-risk individuals. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional, questionnaire-based, online survey by convenience sampling. The prevalence of different types of interpersonal violence with socio-demographic factors, substance use, and overall mental wellbeing was assessed by using descriptive statistical tests. Results: Out of total 556 participants included in the analysis, 50.9% (283) were male and 48.7% (271) were female. There were 100 (18.0%) participants who reported being a victim of interpersonal violence and 101 (18.2%) participants who reported being a perpetrator during the lockdown. The victims of violence were more likely to be living with their spouse alone. The victims and perpetrators were also more likely to have increased alcohol and tobacco use. More number of victims and perpetrators had lower mental wellbeing scores on the WHO wellbeing index. Conclusions: There was prevalence of interpersonal violence during the COVID-19 lockdown. In addition to the fear regarding pandemic, victims have to face domestic violence placing them at a double injustice. Identification of vulnerable groups and proper management of survivors must be prioritized given the unanimous consensus on the rise of interpersonal violence during periods of heightened stress.
Lifestyle, behavior, perception and practices of Nepalese during lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic
(Nepal Medical Association, 2020) Kandel, Samikshya; Lamsal, Mahesh; Yadav, Saroj Adhikari; Bhandari, Dipak; Adhikari, Ganesh; Poudel, Sagar; Sharma, Pawan; Gautam, Swotantra
Abstract: Introduction: COVID-19 infection is caused by a new strain of SARS CoV-2 virus, which transmits directly from person-to-person and has become a pandemic. To counteract this, actions related to mass quarantines or stay-at-home orders have been used termed as lockdown. This study aims to study lifestyle, behaviour, perception and practice of people regarding during the lockdown. Methods: An online survey was conducted with structured questionnaire in Google forms after ethical approval from Nepal Health Research Council (Ref-2631). The attributes of knowledge, attitude and practices were explored using multiple-choice questions and results were statistically analysed using Microsoft excel. Results: Five hundred fifty-five respondents completed the survey with 280 (50.5%) males and 275 (49.5%) female. The knowledge regarding viral pandemic was increased in 496 (89.3%) respondents. 424 (76.4%) people developed stress due to pandemic. Three hundred fifty three (63.6%) were adversely affected by professional works or suffered economic loss in business. More than 42% participants are using their time for study in personal development, online classes etc. Conclusions: The knowledge of viral pandemic as well as personal hygiene habits have improved in majority of people but many also developed stress. They were convinced that lockdown lowered transmission of infection which in turn affected lifestyle behaviour and practices. Practicing social distancing becomes too difficult for the poor in the absence of proper social security system and government support. E-Learning has become more acceptable due to lockdown. Further studies with in-person interviews are warranted.
Mental Wellbeing during the Lockdown Period following the COVID-19 Pandemic in Nepal: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study
(Nepal Medical Association, 2020) Shrestha, Carmina; Ghimire, Calvin; Acharya, Sajan; KC, Prabhat; Singh, Swarndeep; Sharma, Pawan
Abstract: Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected all aspects of society, including mental and physical health. Often missed is the fact that the pandemic is occurring against the backdrop of a very high prevalence of mental health issues. Protecting the mental health of people and healthcare workers is important for long-term positive health outcomes and proper control of the outbreak. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional, questionnaire-based, online survey by convenience sampling. Ethical approval was obtained from the institutional review committee of Nepal Health Research Council (reference no. 2467). Open access, pre-validated questionnaires were used. Participants with significantly poor Mental wellbeing were identified using the WHO well-being index threshold score. Descriptive statistical analysis was carried out. Results: Five hundred and fifty-six participants were included in the analysis. Forty percent of the participants reported a WHO well-being index score of below 13, indicative of poor mental wellbeing and a need for further assessment for depression. Poor Mental wellbeing was more prevalent among participants less than 30 years of age, female gender, never married, diagnosed mental disorder, living alone and those using informal sources for COVID-19 related information. More participants with lower sleep quality score and higher perceived stress score reported poor Mental wellbeing. Conclusions: Combating this challenge requires integration across disciplines. One potential part of the solution is psychological intervention teams. An emerging positive connotation to the pandemic is that it needs to be harnessed as a tool for improving health facilities, community participation, and fighting misinformation.
Prevalence and Associated Factors of Depression in Nepal: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
(Nepal Medical Association, 2025) Sharma, Pawan; Singh, Swarndeep; Parajuli, Anima; Dhungel, Omkar; Pathak, Pankaj
Abstract Introduction: Depression is a common mental disorder associated with considerable degree of burden. This review aimed to examine the prevalence of depression and associated factors in the Nepalese general population. Methods: The databases Medline (PubMed), Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and NepJOL were searched for identification of peer-reviewed studies reporting the prevalence of depression among non-clinical populations in Nepal along with Google Scholar and citation search. Meta-analysis was conducted using random-effects model to calculate the pooled prevalence estimates. A qualitative synthesis of factors associated with depression was performed. Results: A total of 64 studies comprising a total of 57,553 participants were included. Overall, the pooled prevalence among adult population was 13.75% (95% CI:10.84% to 16.65%). For other population subgroups: 27.49% (95% CI: 17.99% to 32.21%) in children and adolescents, 50.07% (95% CI: 32.82% to 67.33%) in geriatric population, 19.96% (95% CI: 18.00% to 21.91%) in maternal population. There was high degree of heterogeneity (I2 = 99.32). Depression was associated with distinct individual attributes and behaviors, socio-economic circumstances and environmental factors. Conclusions: Approximately one-seventh of the adult population was found to have depression. There were notable variations in the prevalence and associated factors of depression across different population subgroups.

Browsing by Author "Sharma, Pawan"

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