BACKGROUND:Postpartum depression (PPD) is a non-psychotic depressive episode within one year post-delivery. If left untreated PPD can lead to chronic depression, neglect, substance abuse, or suicidal ideation. It is common and often undiagnosed complication of childbirth because routine screening is not standard during postnatal care. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is a widely used screening tool recommended for early detection. This study assesses the prevalence of PPD and its association with socio-demographic, obstetric, perinatal, and psychiatric factors. METHODS:A cross-sectional study was conducted at KIST Medical College and Teaching Hospital after ethical approval. A total of 167 postpartum women (6-10 weeks post-delivery) were recruited via simple random sampling. Data were collected through structured interviews from June to November 2022 using a Nepali-translated EPDS (PPD cutoff: ?13). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, with chi-square tests (p<0.05). RESULTS:PPD prevalence was 17.4% (29/167). Significant associations were found with mode of delivery (p=0.031), neonatal ICU admission (p=0.021), past psychiatric history (p=0.000), and family psychiatric history (p=0.000). No significant associations were noted for age, education, employment, parity, or maternal complications. The odds ratio of PPD were 2.8 times higher in mothers who had their newborn admitted to neonatal ICU- and 14.8 times higher in those with a psychiatric history in family. CONCLUSIONS:PPD remains a significant concern despite a lower prevalence than regional studies. Routine EPDS screening should be integrated into postpartum care for early detection.
Psycho-oncology deals with the psychological, emotional, and social issues faced by cancer patients and their families. The cancer burden in Nepal is increasing, and understanding of existing psycho-oncology services as well as research is needed. This scoping review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, NepJOL, Google Scholar, and manual sources was performed from database inception to November 2025. Studies conducted in Nepal that reported psychological or psychosocial outcomes among cancer patients or caregivers were included. Data were extracted on study characteristics, assessment tools, and key findings. Eighteen studies met inclusion criteria, published between 2010 and 2025. Most were hospital-based cross-sectional studies, with one qualitative and one case–control study. Anxiety, depression, and psychological distress were highly prevalent across cancer types. Commonly reported psychological problems included fatigue, sleep disturbance, pain, sexual difficulties, and fear of disease progression. Research on caregiver psychological problem was limited to a single study. The available literature demonstrates a substantial psychological morbidity among cancer patients in Nepal, but research remains methodologically limited and largely descriptive. There is a clear need for further research and integration of psycho-oncology services into routine cancer care.
Introduction Radiographers and radiologic technologists are essential to diagnostic imaging services, yet limited professional recognition, unclear career progression, inadequate remuneration, and restricted access to continuing professional development may affect job satisfaction and career growth in Nepal. This study assessed job satisfaction, career aspirations, and perceived barriers and enablers to career growth among radiographers and radiologic technologists in Nepal. Methods A cross-sectional online questionnaire-based study was conducted among radiographers and radiologic technologists practicing in Nepal. Data from 260 respondents were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and independent-samples t-tests with Welch’s correction where appropriate. Results The mean overall job-satisfaction score was 3.30 ± 0.95 on a five-point scale. The highest-rated item was relationship with colleagues (4.07 ± 0.90), whereas promotion pathways (2.87 ± 1.51) and compensation (3.09 ± 1.19) received lower ratings. Career aspirations were commonly reported: 69.8% planned further education, 91.5% expressed interest in clinical specialisation, and 91.5% aspired to leadership or academic roles. Radiologic Technologists showed higher job-satisfaction scores and were more likely than Radiographers to report aspirations for further education and leadership or academic roles. Conclusion Radiography professionals in Nepal reported job-satisfaction scores near the midpoint of the scale alongside strong professional aspirations. Clearer career pathways, improved continuing professional development access, and stronger institutional support may help align workplace realities with career aspirations. Implications for practice Strengthening promotion systems, professional recognition, and development opportunities may improve motivation, retention, and long-term workforce development in radiography practice in Nepal.
302 Background: Cancer occurring one in every 1,000 pregnancies is rare and poses immense diagnostic and management challenges. Decision making should involve multidisciplinary approach, always considering detailed perspective into account. Evidence on real-world outcomes of multimodal treatment including surgery and systemic therapy during pregnancy in LMICs remains scarce. This study reports obstetric and oncologic outcomes of pregnancies complicated by cancer from a tertiary care center in Nepal. Methods: A descriptive study was done on patients with cancer and pregnancy attending Civil Service Hospital from January 2015 to January 2026. Clinical data were collected from hospital registry of past ten years and telephonic inquiry followed by in-person interview and thorough relevant investigations regarding their present status in terms of maternal and neonatal wellbeing. Information on demographics, cancer type, gestational age at diagnosis, treatment during pregnancy, obstetric outcomes, and maternal status at last follow-up was collected and analyzed. Results: Fifteen women had cancer with pregnancy (mean 29.7 years, range 19–35). Gestational timing at diagnosis was first trimester 3/15 (20%), second trimester 7/15 (47%), third trimester 5/15 (33%), The types of cancers: ovarian cancers (n = 4; endometrioid carcinoma-1; squamous cell carcinoma arising in dermoid cyst-1; high grade serous carcinoma-1, Krukenberg tumor secondary to primary gastric adenocarcinoma-1), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) (n = 4), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) (n = 3), breast cancer (n = 1), CLL (n = 1), APML (n = 1) and thyroid carcinoma (n = 1). Five (33%) women terminated pregnancy before 18 weeks {leukemia: 3 [ CML (2); CLL (1)]; NHL (2)} followed by chemotherapy. Of the rest ten, delivery occurred in six [vaginal (1); cesarean section (5)]/ [term (2); preterm (4)]. No major congenital malformations documented and normal growth and development reported at follow up. Systemic therapy (including targeted agents such as imatinib or systemic chemotherapy/CHOP/ATO+ATRA where indicated) was administered in 10/15 (66%). All four cases of ovarian cancer diagnosed following surgery for adnexal masses during second trimester. None received radiotherapy during pregnancy. Except for one defaulted woman with leukemia, lost to follow up, 10/15 (66%) are currently in remission and 4/15 (27%) had died of disease. Conclusions: Cancer diagnosis and management during pregnancy is challenging, yet can be promising with a multidisciplinary team providing timely and appropriate therapy while carefully balancing the potential risks and benefits to mother and unborn fetus. These results support individualized multidisciplinary decision making and contribute real-world outcome data from a resource-limited setting to the growing evidence that carefully timed surgery and systemic therapy can be considered during pregnancy.
