These are dramatic numbers that emerged last week during the XXII national congress of the Italian Society of NeuroPsychoPharmacology. In fact, it has been estimated that up to one million new cases of mental distress could emerge in the coming months due to the pandemic.
A wave that affects both those who have had direct experience with COVID-19 and those experiencing the consequences of the measures to contain the infection. The incidence of depressive symptoms in those who have come into contact with the virus shows a higher probability of up to 32% (10% for those who have suffered bereavement due to the pandemic), so much so that it is estimated that up to 800 thousand new cases of depression.
To these could be added 150 thousand new cases of depression caused by unemployment. In fact, the risk doubles in those with an income of less than 15 thousand euros per year and triples in those who are unemployed.
The discomfort manifests itself with anxiety or insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder (for those who have been infected) and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The categories most at risk are women (more predisposed to depression and more affected by the social and work-related repercussions), young people (who have seen their social life change and are suffering from the effects of the crisis on employment) and the elderly (more fragile in the face of contagions and mental disorders).
This is why we are now talking about syndemic, that is, the presence and health consequences of an interaction between disease and social, environmental or economic factors. In the context of COVID-19, conditions of health, emotional and social fragility do not add up, but exponentially multiply their negative consequences on the psychophysical well-being of the population.
Even during the lockdown and the measures to contain the virus, the Di Liegro Foundation has always kept the SOSS-Orientation and Social Support Service. By calling 06 6792669 or writing to supportsociale@fondazionediliegro.it, people who experience mental distress and their family members can obtain listening and information on access to mental health services and resources present in the Rome area.
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