Psychoactive Substance Use and Its Relationship to Stress, Emotional State, Depressive Symptomatology, and Perceived Threat During the Covid-19 Pandemic in Mexico

Bibliographic Data

ID22086687
AuthorsNora Angélica Martínez-Vélez (0000-0001-8907-2155), Marcela Tiburcio (0000-0001-7548-7800, corresponding author), Guillermina Natera Rey (0000-0002-9570-2405), Jorge Ameth Villatoro Velázquez (0000-0003-2537-858X, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz), Miriam Arroyo (0000-0002-3687-1970), Miriam Arroyo-Belmonte, Graciela Yazmín Sánchez-Hernández, Morise Fernández-Torres (0000-0001-8573-5126)
Year2021
Volume9
Pages709410-709410
Publication date2021-08-23
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565
PublisherFrontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpubh.2021.709410
PMID34497792
OpenAlexW3194597097
LanguageEN
Citations received10
References cited44

People can increase their use of psychoactive substances in response to stressful situations as a maladaptive mechanism for reducing negative affective states. It is therefore necessary to examine changes in the use of such substances and their relationship to mental health in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: Evaluate the relationship between psychoactive substances and stress, emotional state, and symptomatology during the COVID-19 lockdown in Mexico. Method: A national survey was conducted, using the free Google Forms platform, of residents of Mexico aged 18 and older. The survey was disseminated through social media. Results: The sample comprised 4,122 individuals, mostly women (71.8%), with an age range of 18–81 years ( M = 37.08, SD = 12.689), of which 46.8% were single, and 42.9% married. In general, there was a reduction in substance use during the first 2 months of the quarantine; the most commonly used substances were alcohol, tobacco, and tranquilizers. Respondents who described having greater use than before the pandemic presented greater stress, depressive symptomatology, and perceived threat than those who did not use substances. Conclusions: Respondents who did not use substances reported lower levels of stress, depressive symptomatology, impact of the coronavirus pandemic, and perception of its threat. Women reported greater stress, depressive symptomatology, and emotional intensity than men

Disease · Environmental health · Mental health · Pandemic · Psychiatry · Psychoactive substance · Stress reduction · Substance use · Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes · Clinical Psychology · COVID-19 and Mental Health · Medicine · Mental Health Research Topics · Psychology