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

<b>Background</b>: 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 psycho...

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Main Authors: Pablo Del Pozo-Herce, Enrique Baca-García, Antonio Martínez-Sabater, Rubén Pérez-Elvira, Vicente Gea-Caballero, Elena Chover-Sierra, Pedro José Satústegui-Dordá, Alberto Tovar-Reinoso, Francisco José Rodríguez-Velasco, Mercedes Sánchez-Barba, Jesús Pérez, Raúl Juárez-Vela
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-09-01
Series:Nursing Reports
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2039-4403/14/3/166
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author Pablo Del Pozo-Herce
Enrique Baca-García
Antonio Martínez-Sabater
Rubén Pérez-Elvira
Vicente Gea-Caballero
Elena Chover-Sierra
Pedro José Satústegui-Dordá
Alberto Tovar-Reinoso
Francisco José Rodríguez-Velasco
Mercedes Sánchez-Barba
Jesús Pérez
Raúl Juárez-Vela
author_facet Pablo Del Pozo-Herce
Enrique Baca-García
Antonio Martínez-Sabater
Rubén Pérez-Elvira
Vicente Gea-Caballero
Elena Chover-Sierra
Pedro José Satústegui-Dordá
Alberto Tovar-Reinoso
Francisco José Rodríguez-Velasco
Mercedes Sánchez-Barba
Jesús Pérez
Raúl Juárez-Vela
author_sort Pablo Del Pozo-Herce
collection DOAJ
description <b>Background</b>: 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. <b>Objective</b>: 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. <b>Methods</b>: 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. <b>Results</b>: 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. <b>Conclusions</b>: 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.
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spelling doaj-art-bad4260840234f4eaa31ef27a5edbf5b2025-08-20T01:55:45ZengMDPI AGNursing Reports2039-439X2039-44032024-09-011432226224510.3390/nursrep14030166The Chem-Sex Inventory Scale (CSI): A Tool to Assess the Mental Health Risk of Chemsex Behaviors in Men Who Have Sex with MenPablo Del Pozo-Herce0Enrique Baca-García1Antonio Martínez-Sabater2Rubén Pérez-Elvira3Vicente Gea-Caballero4Elena Chover-Sierra5Pedro José Satústegui-Dordá6Alberto Tovar-Reinoso7Francisco José Rodríguez-Velasco8Mercedes Sánchez-Barba9Jesús Pérez10Raúl Juárez-Vela11Doctorate Program in Psychology, Autonomous University of Madrid, 28049 Madrid, SpainDepartment of Psychiatry, Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, 28040 Madrid, SpainNursing Care and Education Research Group (GRIECE), GIUV2019-456, Nursing Department, Universitat de Valencia, 46010 Valencia, SpainFaculty of Psychology, Potificial University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, SpainResearch Group Community Health and Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, International University of Valencia, 46014 Valencia, SpainNursing Care and Education Research Group (GRIECE), GIUV2019-456, Nursing Department, Universitat de Valencia, 46010 Valencia, SpainSAPIENF (B53_23R) Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, SpainUNIE Universidad, 28040 Madrid, SpainBiopsychosocial Research Group (GIBIPSO), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Extremadura, 10003 Caceres, SpainDepartment of Statistics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, SpainPrevention and Early Intervention in Mental Health (PRINT), Faculty of Medicine, Biomedical Institute of Salamanca, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, SpainPrevention and Early Intervention in Mental Health (PRINT), Faculty of Medicine, Biomedical Institute of Salamanca, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain<b>Background</b>: 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. <b>Objective</b>: 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. <b>Methods</b>: 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. <b>Results</b>: 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. <b>Conclusions</b>: 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.https://www.mdpi.com/2039-4403/14/3/166illicit drugsmental healthpsychiatrysubstance-related disorders
spellingShingle Pablo Del Pozo-Herce
Enrique Baca-García
Antonio Martínez-Sabater
Rubén Pérez-Elvira
Vicente Gea-Caballero
Elena Chover-Sierra
Pedro José Satústegui-Dordá
Alberto Tovar-Reinoso
Francisco José Rodríguez-Velasco
Mercedes Sánchez-Barba
Jesús Pérez
Raúl Juárez-Vela
The Chem-Sex Inventory Scale (CSI): A Tool to Assess the Mental Health Risk of Chemsex Behaviors in Men Who Have Sex with Men
Nursing Reports
illicit drugs
mental health
psychiatry
substance-related disorders
title The Chem-Sex Inventory Scale (CSI): A Tool to Assess the Mental Health Risk of Chemsex Behaviors in Men Who Have Sex with Men
title_full The Chem-Sex Inventory Scale (CSI): A Tool to Assess the Mental Health Risk of Chemsex Behaviors in Men Who Have Sex with Men
title_fullStr The Chem-Sex Inventory Scale (CSI): A Tool to Assess the Mental Health Risk of Chemsex Behaviors in Men Who Have Sex with Men
title_full_unstemmed The Chem-Sex Inventory Scale (CSI): A Tool to Assess the Mental Health Risk of Chemsex Behaviors in Men Who Have Sex with Men
title_short The Chem-Sex Inventory Scale (CSI): A Tool to Assess the Mental Health Risk of Chemsex Behaviors in Men Who Have Sex with Men
title_sort chem sex inventory scale csi a tool to assess the mental health risk of chemsex behaviors in men who have sex with men
topic illicit drugs
mental health
psychiatry
substance-related disorders
url https://www.mdpi.com/2039-4403/14/3/166
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