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Introduction. Internet-based psychological interventions are an effective option for treating mental health problems. Identifying the acceptability of these services makes it possible to improve their design and user adherence. However, only a few psychometric instruments exist to evaluate this acceptability. Objective. To design and evaluate the psychometric properties of an internet-based psychological interventions questionnaire, based on the theory of technology acceptance. Method. The study was divided into three parts: 1) Design of instrument items, 2) analysis of psychometric properties and exploratory factor analysis, and 3) confirmatory factor analysis. Results. The instrument proved to have adequate psychometric properties, with the following goodness-of-fit measurements: χ²/df = 168.92/74 = 2.28, CFI = .935, TLI = .920, RMSEA = .080, 95% CI [.64, .096]. The analysis of internal consistency found an α = .91 for the total scale, an α = .91 for the first factor, "Approval of use," an α = .79 for the second factor, "Perceived usefulness," and an α = .59 for the third factor, "Perceived risk." Discussion and conclusion. The evaluation of factors associated with greater acceptability is a potential tool for improving awareness of the use of online psychological interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increased prevalence in mental disorders, addictive disorders, and dual disorders is one of the most relevant public health problems worldwide. The understanding of these disorders in the Mexican population must improve in order to adjust public strategies and policies focused on prevention and treatment. The aim of this article is to delve into elements of illness perception guided by the proposed explanatory models of Kleinman and their impact on health care services for these disorders. A study of illness perception in our population could contribute significantly toward a comprehensive understanding of the disease process, which, in turn, would favor the design of culturally sensitive psychoeducational and therapeutic interventions when treating individuals experiencing these health conditions, proper clinical practice, timely care, stronger therapeutic adherence, and a better prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since stress is known to play a role in the development of physical and mental illness, empirically validated measurements are required to assess the effect of adverse events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Adversity and Stress Scale (ASS). A sample of 3937 adults living in Mexico was used. The structure of the instrument was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Construct validity was measured through associations between the ASS and psychological symptoms. In the EFA, the relational and contextual dimensions of stress were identified. A good fit was obtained in the CFA (CFI = 0.980, RMSEA = 0.040). The ASS score was associated with all the selected variables in the expected direction, and internal consistency was α =.86. The ASS is a valid, reliable measure, with the potential to be used in other adverse events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohol has been acknowledged as one of the psychotropic drugs consumed in nearly all cultures. The study of alcohol use among indigenous and rural communities from an anthropological perspective highlights the function of alcohol in the social cohesion, and tends to minimize the consequences of consumption. This research adopts a complementary paradigm more closely linked to the acknowledgement of the significant increase in alcohol availability, coupled with its excessive promotion and the lack of support services for other related social, economic and even religious problems. Two groups are affected by excessive drinking: consumers and their closest social nucleus, i.e. the family, both of which require assistance. The aim of this article is to describe the process followed to adapt to the indigenous context a brief intervention model to support the drinkers' families, which is based upon the stress-strain-coping-support model and has proved useful in helping to deal with the dilemmas faced by relatives concerned with a family member's excessive drinking. The adaptation process included four research phases involving different qualitative methods: 1. feasibility, which includes the initial ethnographic research, 2. the adaptation of instruments and psycho-educational materials, 3. the development of an intervention manual and finally, 4. the development of cost-benefit evaluation indicators. The data are drawn from two small indigenous communities located in the arid zone of Valle del Mezquital, in the state of Hidalgo, 300 km from Mexico City. Various strategies drawn from qualitative methods were used in the different phases, i.e. individual interviews with key informants and community members, focus groups, field notes, cognitive laboratories, and the application of semi-structured and structured questionnaires. Different factors were identified as potential challenges for intervention: The existence of a patriarchal organization, fear of gossip, the different perceptions of alcohol consumption, linguistic connotations, poverty, time constraints, and the right not to inform the participants exert. It is crucial to increase awareness in order to improve well-being through various means. Women must be offered alternative responses to a dominant patriarchal structure, by helping them overcome the fear of discussing their problems, taking care not to offend their traditions and encouraging mechanisms that will weaken the power of gossip. Likewise, men must be convinced of the harmfulness of alcohol consumption and its effects on the family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper is a part of a broader research project aimed at adapting a brief intervention model to help families cope with substance abuse for its application to an indigenous population. Due to cultural differences between urban and indigenous contexts, the adaptation of psychological instruments to assess the intervention outcomes is a major need. Poortinga and Van de Vijver point out that transferring an instrument from the cultural group where it has been designed to another group is a common and economic practice; however, it can lead to invalid conclusions. For this reason, the adaptation must be pursued according to a thorough systematic process in order to develop reliable, understandable, and culture-sensitive instruments. Cognitive laboratories are among the different methods to evaluate instruments previous to its final application. Its main utility is to generate information about the quality of an instrument and about the way a single question is interpreted, accepted or rejected in different cultural groups. The objective of this article is to adapt the Coping Questionnaire (CQ), the Symptom Rating Test (SRT) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) for its use in indigenous population through the cognitive laboratories method. The main interest is to develop instruments to assess psychological distress and how people cope with excessive drinking in the Mezquital Valley. To accomplish this objective, a two-phase study was carried out. Language adaptation for all three instruments was completed in phase 1, while the validation and identification of the psychometric properties of the new version took place during phase 2. The study was carried out in a community located in Municipio del Cardonal, Hidalgo, where around 60% of the population aged 5 or older speak an indigenous language, mainly Otomi also known as Ñahñu. The participants in phase 1 were 43 bilingual (Spanish-Ñahñu) women aged between 16 and 60 years, whose main activity was housekeeping. Women were contacted at community meetings, and they agreed to participate voluntarily once the objectives of the study were explained. They were also asked to authorize the recording of the interviews. The language adaptation was performed through the concurrent probing method of cognitive laboratory in its individual modality. Each one of the original items and answer options were read aloud as many times as needed. Immediately following the response, every participant was asked: What does this question mean?, Could you rephrase it?, How would you explain this question to another person in your community?. All comments were taken into account to rewrite each item. The instructions of all three questionnaires were also simplified to facilitate understanding. As a result of this procedure, the phrasing of 26 out of the 30 items of the CQ changed. The way the SRT questions were written was adjusted so that they could be used in an interview, which is why nearly all the items were modified. As for the CES-D, 9 items were modified, while 11 remained as in the original. Through this method, versions that were easier to understand were achieved, since commonly used terms among the population being studied were incorporated, which in turn reduced the time required to apply the three questionnaires. During the second phase, the researchers proceeded to validate the final version of the three instruments with a non-probabilistic study of 191 women who were contacted in the health center of the municipal head town; these were inhabitants of 30 of the 92 communities comprising the Municipio del Cardonal. All of them spoke Spanish, 65.8% were aged between 26 and 45 (X=35.2, SD=10.05), 29.5% had completed their primary school studies, while 26% had finished junior high school.… [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the psychometric properties and explore the factorial structure of a questionnaire on the family impact of drug use. An ex post facto investigation was carried out in which 76 relatives of addictive substances users in Mexico City participated. The results of the study showed adequate internal consistency indices for the questionnaire (α = .83), finding a structure of two factors called impact on functionality (α = .79) and concern for the user (α = .81). It was also possible to observe differences in the consumption impact scores according to the user's impact drug. It is concluded that the instrument is adequate to measure the impact of substance use in the family. The results are discussed in light of the literature on the subject and the limitations of the research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study on determination of dropout in self-guided web-based interventions for depression by different variables. It states that self-guided interventions show inferior results and higher dropout rates due than guided web-based interventions, and mentions that factors associated with increased risks of dropping out before treatment such as being man with lower education and being older with comorbid anxiety symptoms.

The adoption of e-mental health strategies is determined by the acceptability of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to professionals, an issue barely explored in Mexico. The objective was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Acceptability of ICT Use for Mental Health Care Questionnaire. A convenience sample of 492 Mexican mental health professionals answered the questionnaire on ICT use for mental health care. Internal consistency analyses, exploratory, and confirmatory factor analyses were performed. Around 73.4% of the sample are women, aged between 21 and 30 (32.1%), around 50% has completed graduate studies, and 88.3% is practicing psychologists. The questionnaire comprised 11 items grouped into three factors: perceived usefulness, risk perception, and subjective norm. The CFA indicated a good fit χ2 SB/gl = 443.38/206 = 2.15; CFI = 0.930; RMSEA = 0.068 (95% CI [0.059–0.077]). The instrument has adequate psychometric properties for evaluating the acceptability of ICT use for mental health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcoholism is among the main worldwide public health problems and it affects men and women differentially. Several studies show that, when compared to men, women develop more severe dependence, more family and social consequences and experience more difficulties to stop drinking. Differences on the impact that substance abuse has on women's life and health are related to the roles, functions and social expectancies placed on them concerning the continuity and care for the rest of the family. For this reason, alcohol intake constitutes a special problem since it affects the health of both the mother and her offspring. Alcoholic women have a higher risk of suffering obstetric complications during pregnancy, such as placenta insufficiency, intrauterine development retardation, early placenta detachment, spontaneous abortion, stillbirth and pre-term delivery. Alcohol abuse during pregnancy is also associated with low weight offspring, congenital abnormalities and further behavioral and learning difficulties. In some countries, drinking during pregnancy is considered an offense which requires legal action. In some cases, women may be put in jail until delivery and lactation. In other regions, children welfare authorities view drinking during pregnancy as a form of aggression or neglect. Such measures prevent women from searching prenatal attention which in its case might lead to severe health consequences for the mother, the embryo and the society. Estimates of alcohol consumption during pregnancy around the world vary considerably and figures range from 4.1% to 83%. However, the variation might be related to the amount of alcohol units and the period of time considered in each measurement. A case-control study in Naucalpan, Mexico, found that 11% of the women interviewees admitted having drank during pregnancy, 5% of the mothers in the control group and 2% of the case group stopped drinking during lactation. Still, any of the considered variables was found to predict postnatal mortality through logistic regression analyses. Another study performed with data from the 1988 National Survey on Addictions documents that alcohol intake during pregnancy is a risk factor for congenital abnormalities (OR=3.4). The available data about the risks associated with drinking during pregnancy in Mexico comes from research in general population, while little is known about clinical population. For this reason, the objectives of this article are: 1. to analyze the characteristics of alcohol consumption in a group of women who sought help to stop drinking, 2. to identify family history of alcohol abuse in this group and 3. to explore the consequences of drinking on their offspring. In this case study, interviews were held with 200 women who attended two treatment agencies in Mexico City due to alcohol consumption problems. The questionnaire used includes the Spanish version of the CIDI-SAM and other sections to explore drinking during pregnancy and lactation, as well as family history of alcoholism. Selection criteria were: 1. aged 18 or older, 2. seeking help for the first time, 3. physical and mental conditions that would allow to answer the questionnaire, 4. having drank during the previous year. Women agreed to participate voluntarily once the objectives of the study were explained and confidentiality assured. Personnel of both treatment agencies administered the questionnaire and interviews lasted 60 minutes average. The diagnostics of alcohol dependence were obtained according to DSM-IV criteria. Data were analyzed with the statistical program SPSS v. 10, for Windows. A total of 134 women reported having been pregnant at least once, and 57.5% of them admitted having drank alcoholic beverages during pregnancy. Age ranged from 18 to 61 years (mean=40), 50% were married or living with a partner, 18% were divorced or separated and 13% had never married.… [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Studies in various countries have shown that adolescents with a history of parental use of alcohol have a greater risk of presenting alcohol problems of their own, including binge drinking, driving under the influence of alcohol, and alcohol dependence. A few studies in Mexico have also found this association, but these have been carried out with non-representative populations. Objective. To examine the association between a history of parental alcohol use and binge drinking, and parental use and possible dependence on alcohol, in a national sample of junior high and high school students in Mexico. Method. A descriptive correlational study was carried out based on a secondary analysis of the National Survey of Student Drug Use (Encuesta Nacional de Consumo de Drogas en Estudiantes, ENCODE), which questioned 114,364 respondents. The association was evaluated with an estimate of prevalence ratios (PR). Results. Students whose mothers or both parents used alcohol had a greater risk for binge drinking (PR [mother] = 2.12, p < .001; PR [both parents] = 2.18, p < .001) and possible alcohol dependence (PR [mother] = 5.43, p < .001; PR [both parents] = 5.14, p < .001). Those whose fathers alone used alcohol had a lower risk for binge drinking (PR = 1.35, p < .001) and for possible dependence (PR = 1.83, p < .001). Discussion and conclusion. This study shows differences in the effects of problematic alcohol use by parents: use by the mother or by both parents implies a greater risk of binge drinking and possible dependence for their children. This finding should be considered in the design of interventions to prevent binge drinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The study about the misuse of inhalant solvents started in Mexico during the 1970, although the interest in this subject decreased during some periods, its consumption continued among the young population, thus, it is relevant to update the state of the art on this matter. Objective Identify the state of knowledge on inhalant abuse, its consequences, prevention and the treatment alternatives in Mexico in the last four decades. Method We performed a bibliographical inquiry between August and September 2014 on the papers published between 1970 and 2014 about inhalant solvents consumption in Mexico. It integrated the publications included in the historical archive of the Epidemiological and Psychosocial Research Direction, Mental Health Journal, Medline, Elsevier and Scielo México. Results After revision, 83 out of 1083 papers fulfilled all the criteria that we considered for inclusion in the analysis. This body of work has been performed on different population segments: marginalized groups, juvenile gang members, children in street situation, adults and minors secluded in detention centers, sex workers, people seeking treatment, students, and the general population. Discussion and conclusion The several relevant aspects of the consumer population of inhalant solvents in Mexico were identified. Detection of this ample profile of individuals at risk could serve as the basis for the development of prevention and treatment programs to attend to the specific needs of these groups, since the programs currently in progress are scarce and some of them have not had follow up assessments or have not been evaluated at all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Estimate the cost-effectiveness ratio of a five-step brief intervention aimed at reducing the stress and symptoms of depression caused by living with an alcohol abuser. Methods. The cost-effectiveness analysis was carried out with a decision tree, based on symptoms of depression measured on the CES-D scale. The effectiveness of the brief intervention was evaluated by comparing a group of indigenous women who received the intervention (n = 43) with a similar group who did not (n = 30). The groups were evaluated before, immediately after, and 12 months after the intervention, in the state of Hidalgo (Mexico). Pharmacological treatment was selected for comparison, using different estimates. Cost-effectiveness and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were used to calculate the value of the remission of depressive symptoms. Sensitivity analyses were also conducted. Results. The brief intervention turned out to be more effective than the pharmacological one in terms of the remission of depressive symptoms. Its cost was also lower ($US 31.24 versus $US 107.60). The brief intervention would cease to be cost-effective only if its cost increased by 338% or more, or if its effectiveness were 22.8% or less. Conclusions. The five-step brief intervention is a cost-effective option that results in significant reductions in depressive symptoms in indigenous women caused by living with alcohol abusers. It is also an affordable option for primary mental health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]