(1) Background: This meta-analysis aimed to assess the relationship between identifying as transgender and substance use. (2) Methods: We searched for relevant studies in PubMed, Scopus, the Web of Science, and PsycINFO on 21 July 2021. (3) Results: Twenty studies comparing transgender and cisgender people were included in this work, accounting for a total of 2,376,951 participants (18,329 of whom were transgender). These articles included data on current tobacco use, current tobacco use disorder, current alcohol use, current alcohol use disorder, lifetime substance (all) use, current substance use (excluding tobacco and alcohol), current use of specific substances (excluding tobacco and alcohol and including cocaine, amphetamines, methamphetamines, ecstasy, stimulants, heroin, opiates, cannabis, marijuana, LSD, hallucinogens, steroids, inhalants, sedatives, Ritalin or Adderall, diet pills, cold medicine, prescription medications, polysubstance, other club drugs, and other illegal drugs), and current substance use disorder (excluding tobacco and alcohol). We used the ORs and their 95% CIs to state the association between identifying as transgender and those variables. The control reference category used in all cases was cisgender. We employed a random-effects model. Transgender people were more likely to use tobacco (odds ratio (OR) = 1.65; 95% CI [1.37, 1.98]), have used substances throughout their lives (OR = 1.48; 95% CI [1.30, 1.68]), and present current use of specific substances (OR = 1.79; 95% CI [1.54, 2.07]). When current alcohol and substance use in general and tobacco, alcohol, and substance use disorders specifically were considered, the likelihood did not differ from that of cisgender people. (4) Conclusions: The presence of substance use disorders did not differ between transgender and cisgender people. Considering this population as consumers or as addicted may be a prejudice that perpetuates stigma. Nonetheless, transgender people were more likely to use tobacco and other substances, but not alcohol. Hypothetically, this might be an emotional regulation strategy, a maladaptive mechanism for coping with traumatic experiences, or could respond to minority stress, produced by stigma, prejudice, discrimination, and harassment. It is of particular importance to implement policies against discrimination and stigmatisation and to adapt prevention and treatment services so that they are inclusive of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

There is an association between smoking and suicide, even though the direction and nature of this relationship remains controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the association between smoking and suicidal behaviours (ideation, planning, suicide attempts, and death by suicide). On 24 August 2020, we searched the PubMed, Cochrane library, Scopus, Web of Science, TRIP, and SCIENCE DIRECT databases for relevant articles on this topic. Twenty prospective cohort studies involving 2,457,864 participants were included in this meta-analysis. Compared with never smokers, former and current smokers had an increased risk of death by suicide (relative risk [RR] = 1.31; 95% CI [1.13, 1.52] and RR = 2.41; 95% CI [2.08, 2.80], respectively), ideation (RR = 1.35; 95% CI [1.31, 1.39] and RR = 1.84; 95% CI [1.21, 2.78]), and attempted suicide (RR = 1.27; 95% CI [0.56, 2.87] and RR = 1.71; 95% CI [0.73, 3.97]). Moreover, compared to never smokers, current smoker women (RR = 2.51; 95% CI [2.06–3.04] had an increased risk of taking their own life (Q = 13,591.53; p < 0.001) than current smoker men (RR = 2.06; 95% CI [1.62–2.62]. Furthermore, smoking exposure (former and current smokers) was associated with a 1.74-fold increased risk (95% CI [1.54, 1.96]) of suicidal behaviour (death by suicide, ideation, planning, or attempts). Thus, because of the prospective relationship between smoking and suicidal behaviours, smoking should be included in suicide risk scales as a useful and easy item to evaluate suicide risk.

Miscarriage or perinatal loss constitutes one of the most important emotional stressors a woman can experience and can be associated with bereavement. This mourning is a way of adapting and coping with the circumstances. However, inadequate management of this process can lead to the development of complicated grief and psychopathologies such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the prevalence of psychopathology (anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder) in women with a history of miscarriage or perinatal loss in the year prior, and to compare these results with women without this history. A peer review was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. We included (1) articles that included women of any age who had had a miscarriage or perinatal loss in the year prior, and (2) articles with a longitudinal cohort design with a comparison group of women without a history of miscarriage or perinatal loss. After the screening process, three articles met these inclusion criteria and were included in this study. Psychopathology in women after miscarriage or perinatal loss was higher than in the control groups. In addition, it was observed that these psychopathologies gradually decreased over the first year from the loss. In conclusion, abortion and perinatal loss pose a risk factor for the development of psychopathology. Therefore, we emphasize the importance of implementing a mental health plan for these women.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant increase in the workload of healthcare workers that, together with the risks associated with exposure to this new virus, has affected their mental health.Objectives: The objective of the current study was to determine the prevalence of psychopathology and burnout syndrome in healthcare workers and the predictive role of purpose in life and moral courage in this relationship.Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 115 Spanish healthcare workers.Results: Participants with burnout had higher anxiety (p = 0.001), depression (p < 0.001), post-traumatic stress (p = 0.01) and alcohol consumption (p = 0.03) levels. The different components of burnout (emotional fatigue and despersonalization) were associated with the occurrence of anxiety (OR = 0.31) and depression (OR = 0.26), respectively. A strong purpose in life decreased emotional fatigue (OR = −0.39) depersonalization (OR = −0.23) scores, increased personal accomplishment (OR = 0.52), subsequently reducing burnout levels (OR = −0.45).Conclusions: Purpose in life was most strongly related to decreased levels of burnout. Furthermore, an association between anxiety, depression and the components of burnout was found.

Although the required personal protective equipment was not available during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, Spanish healthcare workers continued to work, being dubbed as ‘healthcare kamikazes’. Two possible reasons are moral courage and purpose in life that, in turn, would modulate the appearance of psychopathology. Cross-sectional study was carried out in 90 Spanish and 59 Mexican healthcare professionals, and 56 medical and nursing students. Spanish professionals had suffered more work and overall exposure (M = 8.30; SD = 2.57 and M = 9.03; SD = 2.66) than Mexican (M = 5.10; SD = 1.87 and M = 5.55; SD = 2.35). Mexican professionals had fewer anxiety disorders (30.5%; n = 18) and a lower depression score (M = 4.45; SD = 5.63) than the Spanish (43.7%; n = 38; and M = 8.69; SD = 8.07). Spanish professionals more often experienced acute stress disorder (32.6%; n = 29). Purpose in life, in addition to having a direct protective effect on psychopathology, also modulated the relationship between personal and family exposure and psychopathology. In conclusion, purpose in life protects against the appearance of psychopathology in healthcare workers with personal and family exposure to SARS-CoV-2.

Background: Health sciences students experience high levels of psychopathology conditioned by psychosocial, financial, and academic factors. However, COVID-19 pandemic might even have worsened their mental health. Thus, this article aims to evaluate how the exposure to COVID-19 pandemic has affected these students’ mental health and to determine the effect of purpose in life and character strengths on this psychopathology.Methods: A cross-sectional study of unpaired samples was carried out in Spain during the first and third waves of the pandemic in 70 medical and 52 nursing students.Results: The risk factor that most determined the appearance of anxiety was the exposure of family and friends to COVID-19 (OR = 4.01; p < 0.001), while the most protective factors were honesty (OR = –1.14; p = 0.025) and purpose in life (OR = –0.18; p < 0.001). Purpose in life also protected against the onset of depression and total psychopathology. In addition, we observed studying medicine was a protective factor against total psychopathology while being a nursing student was associated with high levels of acute stress.Conclusion: Exposure of the students’ family and friends to SARS-CoV-2 favored the appearance of symptoms of anxiety. Honesty had a preventing role in the onset of anxiety and a high purpose in life was protective against the appearance of anxiety, depression, and total psychopathology.