No abstract

Background: The use of the internet is growing rapidly worldwide with easier availability and affordability in developing countries like Nepal. Apart from several benefits, it has also led to deleterious effects on certain individuals’ physical and mental well-being. The present study aimed to assess the burden of internet addiction among nursing, dental and medical undergraduates at a medical school, and examine its relationship with depression and sleep quality.Methods: A cross-sectional study among 494 students pursuing nursing, dental and medical undergraduate courses at the same medical college in Nepal was conducted. The burden of internet addiction, depression, and sleep disturbance was assessed using Young’s Internet addiction test, Beck’s depression inventory, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaires respectively.Results: The majority of respondents reported either controlled use of internet or mild problem with internet use. However, 4.7% of respondents reported significant problems due to internet use. Further, about 42.3% reported poor sleep quality, and 8.9% screened positive for depression. In both chi-square and logistic regression analyses, internet addiction was significantly associated with poor sleep quality and depression.Conclusion: The study shows that about half of the participants experienced at least some problems and a small but significant proportion of them reported severe problems due to internet use. This warrants the need to address the issue of internet addiction among medical and allied sciences students in Nepal. Further, internet addiction is associated with both depression and poor sleep quality, highlighting a need to develop effective interventions targeting all three problems holistically.Keywords: Depression; internet addiction; sleep quality

Background: Stigmatising experience related to mental illness is not only confined to the patient but also experienced by their caregivers such as family members and friends. Caregivers feel down and helpless about their affiliation with stigma related to mental illness. Various research studies show that stigma related to mental illness have negative influence on caregivers which leads to concealing the status of mentally ill relatives. Objective: This study aimed to assess the level of perceived stigma among the caregivers of mentally ill patients. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Psychiatric outpatient and inpatient department of Psychiatry, Kathmandu Medical College from 30th January to August 30th 2020. Two hundred and sixteen respondents were chosen conveniently. Face to face interview was conducted using standard tool ‘Devaluation Consumers Families Scale’ to assess the perceived stigma among caregivers of mentally ill patients. Results: Perceived stigma among the caregivers of mentally ill patients was found to be medium (mean score 15.8±2.8). The caregivers perceived the community looking down on the families with mentally ill relatives (community rejection). The mean score was low (2.1±0.8) on “uncaring parents” which indicates that the respondents did not agree that parents of mentally ill patients were less responsible and caring than others. Conclusion: Caregivers of mentally ill patient perceive stigma in various forms which affects the usages of health facilities, care and support towards mentally ill relatives. Objective: This study aimed to assess the level of perceived stigma among the caregivers of mentally ill patients. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Psychiatric outpatient and inpatient department of Psychiatry, Kathmandu Medical College from 30th January to August 30th 2020. Two hundred and sixteen respondents were chosen conveniently. Face to face interview was conducted using standard tool ‘Devaluation Consumers Families Scale’ to assess the perceived stigma among caregivers of mentally ill patients.  Results: Perceived stigma among the caregivers of mentally ill patients  was found to be medium (mean score 15.8±2.8). The caregivers perceived the community looking down on the families with mentally ill relatives (community rejection). The mean score was low (2.1±0.8) on “uncaring parents” which indicates that the respondents did not agree that parents of mentally ill patients were less responsible and caring than others.  Conclusion: Caregivers of mentally ill patient perceive stigma in various forms which affects the usages of health facilities, care and support towards mentally ill relatives.