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.

Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) is a genetically-determined trait that allows people to notice external and internal subtleties in sensory stimuli easily. This feature provides certain advantages to those who possess it, such as, greater empathy, artistic tastes or skills, also, this people can get greater benefit in circumstances with little exposure to sensory input. However, an unfavorable feature of the trait is an increased vulnerability to development psychopathology. In Mexico there is not an instrument to assess the presence of the SPS, thus, the purpose of this research was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSP Scale) in Mexican population. The results showed that the adaptation of HSP Scale has adequate psychometric properties, so the essential contribution of this study is to provide a reliable and valid instrument that allows to discriminate the presence of the SPS.

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.

Effects of anatomical position on esophageal transit time: A biomagnetic diagnostic technique

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.