Pathways of depressive symptoms to self-harm and suicide warning signs during COVID-19 pandemic: The role of anxiety and related distress, dysfunction and somatization.

BACKGROUND: Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, concern about widespread waves of depression and suicide emerged worldwide. Clarity on the relationship between mental health symptoms and warning signs of current self-harm or suicide thoughts and behaviors (ShSTB) in Mexican adults could be useful for designing effective public health policies and preventive strategies during health emergencies. OBJECTIVE: The present study uses a path model to explore the relationship between depressive symptoms, anxiety, and related distress, dysfunction, and somatization with ShSTB warning signs in Mexican adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study also describes the relative risks of these mental health variables for men and women, and for those who were seeking psychological care versus those who were not. METHOD: The study was conducted with 18,449 Mexicans (M = 33 years, SD = 11.00, range = 18-59), including 12,188 women (66.10 %) and 2706 (14.67 %) who were seeking psychological care. A web-based application included two multidimensional screening scales to evaluate depression, anxiety and somatic symptoms and related distress/dysfunction, as well as past and current ShSTB. Based on the participants' sex, the entire sample was randomly divided into two sub-samples to compare and replicate the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) results, getting evidence of the multidimensionality of the scales. With the two sub-samples, we also tested the nested models from a structural equation model (SEM) to suggest a relationship between mental health and self-harm/suicide variables. FINDINGS: Our findings suggest that 31 % of participants were at risk for depression, 42.30 % for anxiety, 38.30 % for Marked Distress, Dysfunction and Somatization (MDDS), 33.30 % for at least one ShSTB, and 4.20 % for Previous Self Harm Thoughts and Behaviors (PShTB) during the COVID-19 pandemic. A greater percentage of women and participants seeking psychological care showed high levels of mental health symptoms, PShTB, MDDS, and ShSTB. The path model suggested a direct influence of PShTB and MDDS on ShSTB. Depression symptoms lead to ShSTB in three possible ways: through PShTB, PShTB affecting MDDS, and generalized anxiety affecting MDDS. DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK: The pandemic was accompanied by a high prevalence of depression-anxiety, marked distress, dysfunction and somatization and self-harm/suicide thoughts and behaviors. The findings of this study suggest evidence over the well-known association between depression and anxiety, and between depression, previous self-harm thoughts and behaviors, and self-harm/suicide. The evidence suggests to distinguish when participants were suffering from MDDS and anxious depression from those only suffering from depression. The methodological conditions of the study suggest a comprehensive model of ShSTB prevention. Findings also suggest the need to care for Mexicans with depressive symptoms and PShTB as well as those suffering from anxious depression with MDDS to prevent suicide, by implementing effective public health policies and preventive strategies to reduce the mental health gap during health emergencies. LIMITATIONS: This research was a cross-sectional study, suggesting that future analyses should focus on the evaluation of its consistency with confirmed diagnoses of mental health disorders, self-harm/suicide risks, and the effect of remote psychological help to address these problems.

Online Training for Primary Care Staff: Skills development on the Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) Intervention Guide / Entrenamiento en línea para personal de atención primaria: Desarrollo de habilidades sobre la Guía de Intervención para Superar las Brechas en Salud Mental (mhGAP)

Abstract Developing effective learning strategies to strengthen mental health professionals' capacities and deliver evidence-based interventions in their communities is urgent. We developed and evaluated an online training program for the Intervention Guide for Mental, Neurological and Substance Use Disorders in Non-specialized Health Settings. Nine hundred and seventy-five health professionals in Mexico were enrolled in the training program, during the period of social distancing brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants completed a pre-post online evaluation strategy including Knowledge screening, assessment of Learning Activities, and performance in Programmed-Simulated cases to evaluate knowledge and skills for the assessment, management, and follow-up of Mental, Neurological and Substance Use Disorders. We found that participants improved their knowledge and skills from training on the mhGAP online course. Notably we observed these positive results regardless of sex, profession, institution, or social vulnerability rating of participants, suggesting that this is a relevant training program for primary care staff. These results contribute to the Mental Health Gap Action Programme and advance the use of online teaching and evaluation technologies in this field.

Resumen El desarrollo de estrategias efectivas de aprendizaje para fortalecer las competencias de los profesionales de la salud mental y brindar intervenciones basadas en evidencia en sus comunidades es necesario. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue desarrollar y evaluar un programa de entrenamiento en línea para la Guía de Intervención en Trastornos Mentales, Neurológicos y por Uso de Sustancias en nivel de atención de salud no especializada. Participaron 975 profesionales de la salud mexicanos durante el período de distanciamiento social provocado por la pandemia de COVID-19. Los participantes completaron una evaluación previa y posterior que incluyó un cuestionario de conocimientos, actividades de aprendizaje y la ejecución en casos simulados programados para evaluar el conocimiento y las habilidades para la evaluación, el manejo y el seguimiento de los trastornos mentales, neurológicos y por uso de sustancias. Los resultados indicaron que los participantes mejoraron sus conocimientos y habilidades en función de su participación en el curso en línea, independientemente del sexo, la profesión, la institución o la vulnerabilidad social de los participantes, sugiriendo que se trata de un programa de formación relevante para el personal de atención primaria. Los resultados contribuyen al Programa de Acción para la Brecha de Salud Mental y promueven el uso de tecnologías de evaluación y enseñanza en línea en este campo.

Effect of substance use on condom use in the Theory of Planned Behavior: Analysis of differential item functioning / Efecto del consumo de sustancias en la Teoría de la Conducta Planeada en Uso de Condón: Análisis del funcionamiento diferencial de los ítems

Abstract Introduction. Substance use is one of the factors associated with lower condom use in young adults, which increases the likelihood of HIV infection. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is one of the most useful models for explaining this phenomenon since it considers the aim of engaging in a behavior based on attitudes, subjective norms and self-efficacy. Objective. To develop a questionnaire and to evaluate the Differential Item Functioning (DIF) caused by substance use in TPB indicators, using the Multiple Indicators Multiple Causes Analysis (MIMIC). Method. The study was conducted in two phases with Mexico City college students age 18 to 25. Results. Adequate goodness of fit was obtained in all three models of the TPB: attitudes χ2S-B(2) = 3.902, p < .001; CFIs = .999; TLIs = .996; RMSEAs = .037, 90% CI ≤ .001-.095; subjective norms χ2S-B(7) = 9.103, p < .245; CFIs = .999; TLIs = .998; RMSEAs = .022, 90% CI ≤ .001-.056; and self-efficacy χ2S-B(25) = 65.115, p < .001; CFIs = .982; TLIs = .974; RMSEAs = .050, 90% CI = .036-.066; in one item in attitudes and two items in subjective norms a DIF effect was observed, while no item proved significant regarding self-efficacy. Discussion and conclusion. There is little evidence in the detection of DIF due to substance use in TPB indicators in condom use, and this is the first study to conduct this type of analysis. Items presenting DIF open the door to future research due to the importance of assessing how the indicator behaves with a population displaying a particular trait.

Resumen Introducción. El consumo de sustancias es uno de los factores asociados a un menor uso de condón en jóvenes adultos, lo cual aumenta la probabilidad de contagio de VIH. La Teoría de la Conducta Planeada (TCP) es uno de los modelos más útiles para explicar este fenómeno ya que considera la intención de llevar a cabo una conducta basándose en actitudes, normas subjetivas y autoeficacia. Objetivo. Desarrollar un cuestionario y evaluar el Funcionamiento Diferencial de los Ítems (DIF) ocasionado por el consumo de sustancias en los indicadores de la TCP, utilizando el análisis Múltiples Ítems Múltiples Causas (MIMIC). Método. El estudio se llevó a cabo en dos etapas con estudiantes universitarios de 18 a 25 años de la Ciudad de México. Resultados. Se obtuvo una adecuada bondad de ajuste en los tres modelos de la TCP: actitudes χ2S-B(2) = 3.902, p < .001; CFIs = .999; TLIs = .996; RMSEAs = .037, 90% IC ≤ .001-.095; normas subjetivas χ2S-B(7) = 9.103; p < .245; CFIs = .999; TLIs = .998; RMSEAs = .022, 90% IC ≤ .001-.056; y autoeficacia χ2S-B(25) = 65.115; p < .001; CFIs = .982; TLIs = .974; RMSEAs = .050, 90% IC = .036-.066; un ítem en actitudes y 2 ítems en normas subjetivas se observó un efecto DIF, y en autoeficacia ningún ítem salió significativo. Discusión y conclusión. Existe poca evidencia en la detección de DIF por uso de sustancias en los indicadores de la TCP en uso de condón, siendo éste el primer estudio que lleva a cabo este tipo de análisis. Los ítems que presenten DIF abren la puerta a futuras investigaciones, debido a la importancia de evaluar cómo se comporta el indicador con una población que tenga un rasgo en particular.