Background/Objectives: Antenatal depression and perceived stress are prevalent mental health challenges faced by pregnant women, and they are associated with male child preference. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of a modified mindfulness training program for reducing antenatal depression and perceived stress levels among expectant mothers with a male child preference at a public sector tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Material and Methods: The present feasibility trial was conducted among expectant mothers with antenatal depression and perceived stress with a male child preference using the ADAPT-ITT framework. Assessments of the needs and experiences of the new target population were carried out through an exploratory and descriptive qualitative study. In-depth interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide and analyzed using a thematic analysis process. Repeated-measures MANOVA was employed to investigate the effect of time on antenatal depression and perceived stress scores in the feasibility of the intervention. Results: Five major themes emerged from the qualitative data. A significant influence of time was established on the antenatal depression scores, with perceived scores of F (2, 326) = 21.244, p < 0.001, and F (2, 326) = 310.748, p < 0.001. The antenatal depression scores significantly decreased from pre-intervention to post-intervention (mean difference = 4.00, p < 0.001), and there was a slightly significant decline from post-intervention to follow-up (mean difference = 1.167, p = 0.001). The perceived stress scores were significantly reduced from pre-intervention to post-intervention (mean difference = 10.214, p < 0.001), and there was a minor but significant decline from post-intervention to follow-up (mean difference = 0.333, p = 0.043). Conclusions: This study concludes that the modified mindfulness training program is a culturally suitable, contextually relevant intervention in the context of Pakistan and it significantly reduced antenatal depression and perceived stress in expectant mothers with a male child preference. The modified mindfulness training program was modified in accordance with the context of Islamic teaching regarding health-promoting lifestyles and religious spirituality.

Stroke is a prevailing public health concern worldwide that has rapidly increased in the past few decades. People of any age may be affected by stroke; how

Background Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a destructive, spiteful, and hurtful condition that may or may not be traumatic. It produces disturbance in both motor and sensory functions, which affect the social, physical, and psychological well-being of the patients. The aim of the study was to assess the family support and self-care activities among patients with spinal cord injuries and to determine the relationship between the variables. Methodology: A cross-sectional (correlational) study was conducted on 169 patients using consecutive sampling technique. Ethics approval was obtained from Ethics Review Committee of Khyber Medical University. Data were collected through validated tools; the Functional Independence Measure was used to assess self-care activities, while the Family Support Scale was used to assess family support. Data were analyzed by SPSS Version-22. Results: The average age of the participants was 32.2511.57 years. Most (79%) of the participants were male, while 21% were female. The mean score of family support was 34.6 14.97, while the mean score of the functional independence measure was 91.5 22.1. There was a significant positive correlation between the variables (r- .785, p< .001). Conclusion: It is concluded from the findings of the study that family support affects self-care activities and has a positive correlation among patients with spinal cord injuries. Based on these findings policymakers and health professionals are recommended to arrange educational programs for families to effectively rehabilitate individuals with disabilities.

Background: Emotional safety is increasingly recognized as crucial for high-quality patient care, encompassing a patient’s sense of security, courteous treatment, being heard, and a peaceful environment. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of patients and providers (doctors and nurses) regarding emotional harm and safety in relation to hospitalized patients. Methods: We conducted a qualitative study in public-sector teaching hospitals in Peshawar, Pakistan. Data were collected after we obtained informed consent using individual interviews with 15 providers, namely, doctors (n = 7) and nurses (n = 8), and five focus group discussions (FGDs) with 25 hospitalized patients. Data from both the interviews and FGDs were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase approach to thematic analysis. Results: The key themes revealed by the providers’ perspectives were factors contributing to emotional harm, staff-related factors, coping mechanisms and solutions, and the impact of prior experiences and involvement. The main themes that emerged from the patients’ perspectives were anxiety upon admission, the impact of communication, emotional stress due to treatment delays, systemic/bureaucratic challenges, financial burden, a lack of emotional support, and post-hospitalization concerns. The consistent perspectives shared by both patients and providers included the impact of systemic factors, communication issues, the role of staff attitude/behavior, financial concerns, and the influence of prior experiences. Conclusions: This study highlights the complex interplay of systemic, staff-related, and patient-specific factors. It suggests a need to improve communication, staff support, administrative processes, financial counseling, emotional support integration, and discharge planning to minimize harm and create a patient-centered environment.

Aim: To explore the perceptions of key stakeholders regarding advanced practice nursing in Pakistan. Methodology: A qualitative case study research design was employed to facilitate an in-depth exploration of perceptions within a defined context. With a sample size of 11 determined by data saturation, purposive sampling was utilized as a data collection technique. Face-to-face, in-depth individual interviews were conducted, recorded, and analyzed. The study spanned six months, receiving approval from the ethical review boards of the Khyber Medical University. Results: Five themes emerged those were: Stakeholders’ views regarding advanced practice nursing, anticipated challenges and issues in introducing APN in Pakistan, Potential benefits of advanced practice nursing, Required Qualification and competencies for APN, Strategies for commencement of Advanced practice nursing Conclusion: The study explores the significance of advanced practice nursing in addressing the healthcare needs of Pakistan's growing population. Recognizing it as a timely imperative, the findings highlight the need for nurses to elevate their knowledge and skills. Despite anticipated hurdles, the study concludes that advanced practice nursing holds the potential to enhance the overall healthcare system, emphasizing the importance of proactive measures to address challenges before initiation.

Background and Objectives: Antenatal depression and perceived stress are prevalent mental health challenges in pregnant women, associated with male-child preference. The study aimed to assess the feasibility of a modified mindfulness training program on antenatal depression and perceived stress levels among expected mothers with male child preference at a public sector tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Materials and Methods: The present feasibility trial was conducted among expected mothers having antenatal depression and perceived stress with a male child's preference by using the ADAPT-ITT framework. Need assessment and experiences of the new target population were carried out through an exploratory, descriptive qualitative study. In-depth interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide and analysed using a thematic analysis process. A repeated measures MANOVA was employed to investigate the effect of time on antenatal depression and perceived stress scores in the feasibility of the intervention. Results: Five major themes emerged from qualitative data. Significant influence of time was established on antenatal depression scores and a perceived score of F (2, 326) = 21.244, p < .001 and F (2, 326) = 310.748, p < 0.001 respectively. Antenatal depression scores significantly decreased from T1 to T2, mean difference = 4.00, p < .001, and slightly significant decline from T2 to T3, mean difference = 1.167, p = 0.001. Perceived stress scores significantly reduced from T1 to T2, mean difference = 10.214, p < .001, and a minor but significant decline from T2 to T3, mean difference = 0.333, p = 0.043. Conclusion: The study concluded the modified mindful training program is a culturally suitable, contextually relevant intervention in Pakistan's context and it significantly reduced antenatal depression and perceived stress in expected mothers.