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Analysis of institutional authors

Baca-Garcia, EnriqueAuthor

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October 14, 2024
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The Chem-Sex Inventory Scale (CSI): A Tool to Assess the Mental Health Risk of Chemsex Behaviors in Men Who Have Sex with Men

Publicated to:Nursing Reports. 14 (3): 2226-2245 - 2024-09-01 14(3), DOI: 10.3390/nursrep14030166

Authors: Del Pozo-Herce, Pablo; Baca-Garcia, Enrique; Martinez-Sabater, Antonio; Perez-Elvira, Ruben; Gea-Caballero, Vicente; Chover-Sierra, Elena; Satustegui-Dorda, Pedro Jose; Tovar-Reinoso, Alberto; Rodriguez-Velasco, Francisco Jose; Sanchez-Barba, Mercedes; Perez, Jesus; Juarez-Vela, Raul

Affiliations

Autonomous Univ Madrid, Doctorate Program Psychol, Madrid 28049, Spain - Author
Consorci Hosp Gen Univ Valencia, Internal Med, Valencia 46014, Spain - Author
Fdn Jimenez Diaz Univ Hosp, Dept Psychiat, Madrid 28040, Spain - Author
Hosp Clin Univ Valencia, Care Res Grp INCL, Valencia 46014, Spain - Author
Inst Invest Sanitaria Fdn Jimenez Diaz, Expt Hematol, Madrid 28040, Spain - Author
Int Univ Valencia, Fac Hlth Sci, Res Grp Community Hlth & Care, Valencia 46014, Spain - Author
Potificial Univ Salamanca, Fac Psychol, Salamanca 37007, Spain - Author
UNIE Univ, Madrid 28040, Spain - Author
Univ Extremadura, Fac Med & Hlth Sci, Biopsychosocial Res Grp GIBIPSO, Caceres 10003, Spain - Author
Univ La Rioja, Fac Hlth Sci, Res Grp Care, Logrono 26004, Spain - Author
Univ Salamanca, Biomed Inst Salamanca, Fac Med, Prevent & Early Intervent Mental Hlth PRINT, Salamanca 37007, Spain - Author
Univ Salamanca, Fac Med, Dept Med, Salamanca 37007, Spain - Author
Univ Salamanca, Fac Med, Dept Stat, Salamanca 37007, Spain - Author
Univ Valencia, Nursing Dept, Nursing Care & Educ Res Grp GRIECE, GIUV2019 456, Valencia 46010, Spain - Author
Univ Zaragoza, Fac Hlth Sci, SAPIENF Res Grp B5323R, Zaragoza 50009, Spain - Author
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Abstract

Background: Chemsex has been defined as the deliberate use of drugs for prolonged sexual intercourse between gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men (MSM). Drugs associated with chemsex can trigger mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, risk of psychosis and suicidal ideation, social isolation, stigmatization, and even loss of impulse control and lack of coping strategies. Currently, the increase in illicit drugs in a sexual context is considered an outbreak of a public health emergency. Objective: The aim of this study is the construction and validation of the Chem-Sex Inventory (CSI), a new scale to assess the mental health risk of chemsex behaviors. Methods: A cross-sectional design was conducted to study 563 participants. Data were collected through an online questionnaire between January and April 2023, and the construct validity of the CSI was assessed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Results: The sample was, on average, 36 years old (SD: +/- 9.2). The majority of gender identity was cisgender (97.7%). A factor structure was found that can be summarized in four dimensions: emotional instability, risk of psychosis, altered body perception, and risk of suicide. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) presents adequate reliability values, with a Cronbach's alpha above 0.87 for all dimensions and a McDonald's omega above 0.88 with a good fit of the 42 items. Conclusions: Our study has shown that the Chem-Sex Inventory (CSI) scale has factorial validity and could be used in clinical practice and research to measure the behavioral contribution of the chemsex phenomenon in MSM.

Keywords

Drug-useGaIllicit drugsMental healthPsychiatrySubstance useSubstance-related disorderSubstance-related disorders

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal Nursing Reports due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2024 there are still no calculated indicators, but in 2023, it was in position 36/193, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Nursing.

Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2025-08-02:

  • The use, from an academic perspective evidenced by the Altmetric agency indicator referring to aggregations made by the personal bibliographic manager Mendeley, gives us a total of: 33.
  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 35 (PlumX).

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

  • The Total Score from Altmetric: 3.05.
  • The number of mentions on the social network X (formerly Twitter): 4 (Altmetric).

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • The work has been submitted to a journal whose editorial policy allows open Open Access publication.

Leadership analysis of institutional authors

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: First Author (del Pozo-Herce, Pablo) .