The Efficacy and Usability of an Unguided Web-Based Grief Intervention for Adults Who Lost a Loved One During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: The death of a loved one was a challenge many people faced during the COVID-19 pandemic within the context of extraordinary circumstances and great uncertainty. Grief is an unavoidable part of life, and for most people, feelings of grief decrease naturally over time. However, for some people, grieving can become a particularly painful process with clinical symptoms that may require professional help to resolve. To provide psychological support to people who had lost a loved one during the COVID-19 pandemic, an unguided web-based psychological intervention was developed. OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the web-based treatment, Grief COVID (Duelo COVID in Spanish; ITLAB), in reducing clinical symptoms of complicated grief, depression, posttraumatic stress, hopelessness, anxiety, and suicidal risk in adults. The secondary aim was to validate the usability of the self-applied intervention system. METHODS: We used a randomized controlled trial with an intervention group (IG) and a waitlist control group (CG). The groups were assessed 3 times (before beginning the intervention, upon completing the intervention, and 3 months after the intervention). The intervention was delivered on the web in an asynchronous format through the Duelo COVID web page. Participants created an account that could be used on their computers, smartphones, or tablets. The evaluation process was automated as part of the intervention. RESULTS: A total of 114 participants were randomly assigned to the IG or CG and met criteria for inclusion in the study (n=45, 39.5% completed the intervention and n=69, 60.5% completed the waitlist period). Most participants (103/114, 90.4%) were women. The results indicated that the treatment significantly reduced baseline clinical symptoms in the IG for all variables (P<.001 to P=.006), with larger effect sizes for depression, hopelessness, grief, anxiety, and risk of suicide (all effect sizes ≥0.5). The follow-up evaluation showed that symptom reduction was maintained at 3 months after the intervention. The results from the CG showed that participants experienced significantly decreased levels of hopelessness after completing the time on the waitlist (P<.001), but their suicidal risk scores increased. Regarding the usability of the self-applied intervention system, the results indicated a high level of satisfaction with the Grief COVID. CONCLUSIONS: The self-applied web-based intervention Grief COVID was effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, hopelessness, risk of suicide risk, posttraumatic stress disorder, and complicated grief disorder. Grief COVID was evaluated by the participants, who reported that the system was easy to use. These results affirm the importance of developing additional web-based psychological tools to help reduce clinical symptoms in people experiencing grief because of the loss of a loved one during a pandemic. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04638842; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04638842.

Evaluation of psychosocial aspects in participants of cancer genetic counseling.

BACKGROUND: The instrument called "Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale" (HADS) is frequently used to evaluate anxious and depressive symptomatology in patients who receive Cancer Genetic Counseling (CGC). However, this instrument cannot identify all of the psychosocial factors, such as the antecedents of the patients' emotional states or their concerns. The objective of the present research was to compare cases detected with psychosocial alterations by means of HADS and a Psychological Health Interview (PHI). METHODS: A transversal analytical design was used. One hundred ten participants were included (97.3% females and 2.7% males). The average age was 45 years ±10 years. RESULTS: The PHI identified twice the amount of participants with psychosocial alterations than did HADS, which only detected 43% of these participants. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study suggest that the PHI should be applied in addition to HADS to identify participants who would require psychological support due to recurrent concerns.

Internet-based self-administered intervention to reduce anxiety and depression symptomatology and improve well-being in 7 countries: protocol of a randomized control trial.

Background: Online psychological interventions have emerged as a treatment alternative because they are accessible, flexible, personalized, and available to large populations. The number of Internet interventions in Latin America is limited, as are Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) of their effectiveness and a few studies comparing their effectiveness in multiple countries at the same time. We have developed an online intervention, Well-being Online, which will be available to the public free of charge in 7 countries: Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Brazil, Spain, and the Netherlands. We expect a reduction in depression and anxiety symptoms and an increase in well-being of the participants. Methods: A multi-country, randomized controlled trial will be conducted. The intervention is multicomponent (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Behavioral Activation Therapy, Mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Positive Psychology), with 10 sessions. In each country, eligible participants will be randomized to one of three groups: Enriched Intervention (interactive web design with videos, infographics, text, audio, and forum), Text Intervention (text on the website), and Wait List (control group). Repeated measures will be obtained at 5-time points. Our primary outcomes will be anxiety symptomatology, depressive symptomatology, and mental well-being. MANOVA analysis will be used for our main analysis. Discussion: This protocol describes the design of a randomized trial to evaluate the efficacy of a web-based intervention to reduce anxiety and depression symptomatology and increase subjective well-being. The intervention will be made available in four languages (Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, and English). Its results will contribute to the evidence of effectiveness in terms of randomized trials and Internet interventions, mainly in Latin America and Europe.

Anxious depression in patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and its relationship with medication adherence and glycemic control.

A relationship between anxious depression has been proposed in patients with diabetes, which may contribute to the lack of medication adherence. The aim of this study was to investigate if there is a relationship between depression and / or anxiety with medication adherence and glycemic control in patients with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM2). An analytical, cross-sectional study was carried out in the internal medicine outpatient clinic of a Hospital in Mexico. Patients with DM2 participated over a period from November 2015 to January 2016. The Morisky scale for medication adherence, and the Goldberg anxiety and depression scale were conducted for each patient. Data was collected from a total of 179 patients. There was a significant difference between anxious depression and medication adherence (p < 0.001) using logistic regression with an R2 of 0.136. There was also a significant difference between anxiety and glycemic control (p < 0.001) with an R2 of 0.175, however no significant difference was found between glycemic control and anxious depression. Our findings demonstrate that patients who suffer from anxious depression also tend to have reduced medication adherence, and anxiety was associated with poor glycemic control in patients with DM2 within the Mexican population.

Psychological Distress and Signs of Post-Traumatic Stress in Response to the COVID-19 Health Emergency in a Mexican Sample.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the psychological impacts of COVID-19 prevention measures, such as social isolation, on a Mexican sample. METHODS: We conducted an online sociodemographic and Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) survey during the second phase of the COVID-19 outbreak in Mexico to evaluate the presence of psychological distress, signs of post-traumatic stress, and to identify the groups at highest risk in the sample. RESULTS: Prevalence of psychological distress at moderate or severe levels in the sample were as follows: 943 (22%) intrusive thoughts, 933 (22.3%) avoidance, and 515 (12.2%) hyperarousal. Furthermore, we found the symptoms of clinically significant post-traumatic stress in 1160 (27.7%) of the participants. The variables positively correlated with higher psychological distress were as follows: age (younger), sex (female), employment (employed), relationship status (single), in social isolation, number of days in isolation, the number of people in the household (3-5), and a perception of a high risk of contracting COVID-19, change in routine, engaging in less activity, and loss of income. CONCLUSION: During phase 2 of the COVID-19 outbreak in Mexico, we observed the presence of psychological distress and post-traumatic stress symptoms in over a quarter of the population. This investigation may guide mental health interventions and policies towards the groups that are most vulnerable to the impacts of the social and lifestyle changes taking place in Mexico due to COVID-19.

Association between Anxiety and Sleepiness in Medical Students of the University of Guadalajara (Mexico) / Asociación entre ansiedad y somnolencia diurna en estudiantes de medicina de la Universidad de Guadalajara (México) / Associação entre ansiedade e sonolência diurna em estudantes de medicina da Universidade de Guadalajara (México)

Introduction: Medical students could potentially be considered as a vulnerable group in terms of increased risk for anxiety and sleep disorders. This could be caused by high academic demands, and high levels of stress. There is little information, however, when it comes to the relationship between anxiety and exces-sive daytime sleepiness among medical students, and the potentially negative effects this relationship could have upon student health and academic performance. The objective was to identify the association between anxiety and excessive daytime sleepiness in medical students of the University of Guadalajara (Mexico). Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out, evaluating 173 students between January and April of 2019. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale was used for the determination of excessive day-time sleepiness, while the anxiety symptoms were measured using the Beck Anxiety Inventory. According to the cut-off points for the Epworth scales, the cut-off point was from 10 and for the Beck anxiety inventory it was 8. Chi square and Fisher's exact test were used for statistical analysis. A value of p<0.05 was consid-ered statistically significant. Results: Statistically significant differences were found between the students when comparing the presence and absence of excessive daytime sleepiness and anxiety with a value of p = 0.036 and Odds Ratio of 2.161. Conclusion: A high prevalence of anxiety and insomnia was found in the group of medical students which was evaluated. Additionally, it was found that students who suffer from anxiety are more likely to develop excessive daytime sleepiness

Introducción: los estudiantes de medicina pueden ser considerados un grupo vulnerable para presentar ansiedad y trastornos del sueño, debido a las altas exigencias académicas y al estrés; sin embargo, se cuenta con pocos datos sobre la relación entre la ansiedad y la somnolencia en estudiantes de medicina, relación que podría generar complicaciones tanto académicas como de salud. El objetivo fue la asociación entre ansiedad y somnolencia excesiva diurna en estudiantes de medicina de la Universidad de Guadalajara (México). Materiales y métodos: estudio transversal con 173 estudiantes entre enero y abril del 2019. Para la determinación de somnolencia excesiva diurna se aplicó la Escala de Somnolencia de Epworth (punto de corte = 10), mientras que para evaluar los síntomas de ansiedad excesiva se utilizó el Inventario de Ansiedad de Beck (punto de corte = 8). Se emplearon chi cuadrado y la prueba exacta de Fisher para el análisis estadístico. Se consideró estadísticamente significativo un valor de p < 0.05. Resultados: se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre los estudiantes al comparar la presencia y la ausencia de somnolencia y ansiedad con un valor de p = 0.036 y un odds ratio de 2.161. Conclusión: hay una alta prevalencia de ansiedad e insomnio en los estudiantes de medicina evaluados, y aquellos con ansiedad tienen mayor probabilidad de desarrollar somnolencia excesiva diurna

Introdução: estudantes de medicina podem ser potencialmente considerados um grupo vulnerável em ter-mos de risco aumentado para ansiedade e distúrbios do sono. Isso pode ser causado por altas demandas acadêmicas e altos níveis de estresse. No entanto, há poucas informações sobre a relação entre ansiedade e sonolência diurna excessiva entre estudantes de medicina e os efeitos potencialmente negativos que essa relação pode ter sobre a saúde e o desempenho acadêmico dos alunos. O objetivo foi identificar a associação entre ansiedade e sonolência diurna excessiva em estudantes de medicina da Universidade de Guadalajara (Mêxico). Materiais e métodos: estudo transversal, avaliando 173 alunos entre janeiro e abril de 2019. A Escala de Sonolência de Epworth (ponto de corte = 10) foi utilizada para a determina-ção da sonolência diurna excessiva, enquanto os sintomas de ansiedade foram medidos por meio do Inventário de Ansiedad de Beck (ponto de corte = 8). Qui-quadrado e prova exata Fisher foram usados para análise estatística. Um valor de p < 0,05 foi considerado estadísticamente significativo. Resultados:foram encontradas diferenças estatisticamente significantes entre os alunos ao comparar a presença e ausência de sonolência diurna excessiva e ansiedade com um valor de p = 0,036 e um Odds Ratio de 2,16. Conclusão: foi encontrada alta prevalência de ansiedade e insônia no grupo de estudantes de medicina avaliados. Além disso, verificou-se que os alunos que sofrem de ansiedade têm maior probabilidade de desenvolver sonolência diurna excessiva

Validation of Health Behavior and Stages of Change Questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: The transtheoretical model (TTM) has been widely used to promote healthy behaviors in different groups. However, a questionnaire has not yet been developed to evaluate the health behaviors that medical practitioners often consider in individuals with cancer or at a high risk of developing cancer. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to construct and validate the Health Behavior and Stages of Change Questionnaire (HBSCQ), which is based on the TTM and health recommendations related to risk and factors that protect against cancer. METHODS: Content validity was conducted in two phases (qualitative and quantitative). Item difficulty index, item discrimination index, and discrimination coefficient were obtained based on the classical test theory. Finally, Cronbach's alpha was used. RESULTS: Measure of concordance showed scores considered adequate and excellent. The item discrimination index obtained a rating of "excellent" and suggested the preservation of all items. The discrimination coefficient scores are >0.74. The global internal consistency of the HBSCQ was 0.384. HBSCQ specification between groups of internal consistency for the sample of men was 0.712 and that for the sample of women was 0.378. CONCLUSION/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The HBSCQ represents a proposal for a fast, simple, and innovative screening test, which aims to identify persons who may benefit from interventions to promote health behaviors delimited to the stage of change.

Impact of stress and levels of corticosterone on the development of breast cancer in rats.

Stress is experienced during cancer, and impairs the immune system's ability to protect the body. Our aim was to investigate if isolation stress has an impact on the development of tumors in rats, and to measure the size and number of tumors and the levels of corticosterone. Breast cancer was induced in two groups of female rats (N=20) by administration of a single dose of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea 50 mg/kg. Rats in the control group (cancer induction condition) were allowed to remain together in a large cage, whereas in the second group, rats were also exposed to a stressful condition, that is, isolation (cancer induction and isolation condition, CIIC). The CIIC group displayed anxious behavior after 10 weeks of isolation. In the CIIC group, 16 tumors developed, compared with only eleven tumors in the control cancer induction condition group. In addition, compared with the control group, the volume of tumors in the CIIC group was greater, and more rats had more than one tumor and cells showed greater morphological damage. Levels of corticosterone were also significantly different between the two groups. This study supports the hypothesis that stress can influence the development of cancer, but that stress itself is not a sufficient factor for the development of cancer in rats. The study also provides new information for development of experimental studies and controlled environments.