Cross‐cultural adaptation of Nepalese literacy and stigma of suicide scales (LOSS‐SF‐Nep and SOSS‐SF‐Nep) among Nepalese medical and nursing students

Abstract Introduction: Nepal is a country in South‐east Asia with high suicide. There is ongoing trend of emerging research on suicide from Nepal but there is lack of validated scale in measuring literacy or stigma. In the view of poor media reporting and large treatment gap, this study was conducted. All previous validation studies were done in non‐Hindu populations. Methods: A cross‐sectional study was planned where the short forms of Nepalese literacy of suicide scale (LOSS‐SF‐Nep) and Stigma of Suicide Scale (SOSS‐SF‐Nep) were validated using standard procedure at a medical college in southern Nepal. Medical and nursing students of all batches were approached offline after successful pretesting. The psychometric properties of the scales were tested, and the statuses of literacy and stigma were assessed. Patient Health Questionnaire‐9 and General Anxiety Disorder Scale‐7 were used for revealing depression and generalized anxiety. Results: Three hundred and nineteen Nepalese students participated and most of them were males, belonged to nuclear family, upper‐middle socioeconomic status and represented 46 out of 77 districts of Nepal. The mean score of LOSS‐SF‐Nep was 6.36 ± 1.92 and literacy ranged from 37.9% to 89.7%. The deeper exposure to suicidal patients was associated with better literacy. Factor analysis of SOSS‐SF‐Nep revealed three subscales: stigmatization, isolation/depression, and normalization/glorification and had acceptable psychometric properties. Gender, occupation of head of the family, region and years of education, using mental health services, and depression were associated with variable literacy or stigma. Conclusion: Literacy and stigma scales were validated in Nepali, and SOSS factor structures were revealed with modified descriptors. The literacy and stigma levels in medical students were calculated for the first time in Nepal and Hindu majority population

Original research by young twinkle students (ORBYTS): Ephemeris refinement of transiting exoplanets

We report follow-up observations of transiting exoplanets that have either large uncertainties (>10 min) in their transit times or have not been observed for over 3 yr. A fully robotic ground-based telescope network, observations from citizen astronomers, and data from TESS have been used to study eight planets, refining their ephemerides and orbital data. Such follow-up observations are key for ensuring accurate transit times for upcoming ground- and space-based telescopes, which may seek to characterize the atmospheres of these planets. We find deviations from the expected transit time for all planets, with transits occurring outside the 1σ uncertainties for seven planets. Using the newly acquired observations, we subsequently refine their periods and reduce the current predicted ephemeris uncertainties to 0.28-4.01 min. A significant portion of this work has been completed by students at two high schools in London as part of the Original Research By Young Twinkle Students (ORBYTS) programme.Fil: Edwards, Billy. Colegio Universitario de Londres; Reino UnidoFil: Changeat, Quentin. Colegio Universitario de Londres; Reino UnidoFil: Yip, Kai Hou. Colegio Universitario de Londres; Reino UnidoFil: Tsiaras, Angelos. Colegio Universitario de Londres; Reino UnidoFil: Taylor, Jake. University of Oxford; Reino UnidoFil: Akhtar, Bilal. Preston Manor High School; Reino UnidoFil: Aldaghir, Josef. Preston Manor High School; Reino UnidoFil: Bhattarai, Pranup. Preston Manor High School; Reino UnidoFil: Bhudia, Tushar. Beal High School; Reino UnidoFil: Chapagai, Aashish. Preston Manor High School; Reino UnidoFil: Huang, Michael. Preston Manor High School; Reino UnidoFil: Kabir, Danyaal. Beal High School; Reino UnidoFil: Khag, Vieran. Beal High School; Reino UnidoFil: Khaliq, Summyyah. Beal High School; Reino UnidoFil: Khatri, Kush. Preston Manor High School; Reino UnidoFil: Kneth, Jaidev. Beal High School; Reino UnidoFil: Kothari, Manisha. Beal High School; Reino UnidoFil: Najmudin, Ibrahim. Preston Manor High School; Reino UnidoFil: Panchalingam, Lobanaa. Beal High School; Reino UnidoFil: Patel, Manthan. Preston Manor High School; Reino UnidoFil: Premachandran, Luxshan. Beal High School; Reino UnidoFil: Qayyum, Adam. Beal High School; Reino UnidoFil: Rana, Prasen. Preston Manor High School; Reino UnidoFil: Shaikh, Zain. Preston Manor High School; Reino UnidoFil: Syed, Sheryar. Beal High School; Reino UnidoFil: Theti, Harnam. Beal High School; Reino UnidoFil: Zaidani, Mahmoud. Preston Manor High School; Reino UnidoFil: Saraf, Manasvee. Colegio Universitario de Londres; Reino UnidoFil: Di Sisto, Romina Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Fernandez Lajus, Eduardo Eusebio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata; Argentin

Validating the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale as a screening tool for postpartum depression in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Background: Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is considered well accepted screening tool for postpartum depression (PPD). The objective of the study was to validate the EPDS as a screening tool for postpartum depression in Kathmandu, Nepal. Methods: A hospital based cross sectional study using EPDS was conducted among 346 mothers between 4 and 14 weeks of postpartum period. All the participants were examined by psychiatrist for possible clinical PPD diagnosis using International Classification of Disease tenth revision (ICD-10). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were calculated for validation of EPDS. The best cut off point for Nepalese version of EPDS was identified and area of the receiver operating characteristics curve was calculated. Results: The overall prevalence of PPD was 17.1 %.The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the Nepalese version EPDS was found to be 92, 95.6, 77 and 99.3 % respectively. The best cut-off point of EPDS for screening of PPD was found to be 12/13 and the area of the curve was 0.98 (95 % CI 0.970–0.994, p = 0.001). Conclusions: The prevalence of PPD is not that far from the previous studies of Nepal. Nepali version of EPDS was acceptable and the study demonstrates good validity, thus EPDS can be used as valid screening tool for PPD for early detection, prompt treatment and to prevent possible consequences