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.

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.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on mental health, leading to the increase of depressive symptoms. Identifying these symptoms and the factors associated with them in women and men will allow us to understand possible mechanisms of action and develop more specific interventions. An online survey was conducted from 1 May to 30 June 2020 using snowball sampling; the final sample comprised 4122 adult inhabitants of Mexico; 35% of the total sample displayed moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms, with a greater proportion of depression being among female respondents. A logistic regression analysis revealed that individuals under 30 years of age, those with high levels of stress due to social distancing, those with negative emotions, and those who reported a significant impact of the pandemic on their lives have a higher risk of depression. Women with a history of mental health treatment and men with a history of chronic disease were also more likely to experience depressive symptoms. Social environment and sex are factors that intervene in the development of depressive symptoms, meaning that appropriate early identification and intervention models should be designed for the care of men and women in highly disruptive situations such as the recent pandemic.

Subtle gender differences in cognition arise due to the action of sex hormones during brain development, and are shaped by social influences. The sexes also differ with respect to vulnerability to specific classes of psychopathology.

Despite the growing attention given to the study of humor, a measure in the Spanish language of people’s experience and enjoyment of humor in everyday life is still missing. The present study describes the development and validation of the EHV (from the Spanish Escala de Humor ante la Vida, Humor in Life Scale). In phase I, the items were developed using focus groups and interviews; their content validity was assessed through expert judgment. In phase II, the EHV was answered by two Mexican samples (N=1380), women and men, from 18 to 66 years; it was administered together with the Numeric Rating Scale of Humor and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, in both printed and electronic formats. The exploratory factor analysis supported the single factor structure and the confirmatory factor analysis showed adequate fit indices for the final eight-item scale; the factor structure was partially invariant between sexes. Reliability indices were satisfactory. Convergent and discriminant validity tests showed that the EHV is related to a global measure of humor and positive and negative affect. In sum, the results indicate that the EHV is a brief, valid and reliable measure to assess humor in life in Spanish speakers.