Mental health in Italy after two years of COVID-19 from the perspective of 1281 Italian physicians: looking back to plan forward

Alessandro Cuomo; Mario Amore; Maria Felice Arezzo; Sergio De Filippis; Alessandra De Rose; Silvestro La Pia; Alessandro Pirani; Riccardo Torta; Andrea Fagiolini

doi:10.1186/s12991-022-00410-5

Mental health in Italy after two years of COVID-19 from the perspective of 1281 Italian physicians: looking back to plan forward

Ann Gen Psychiatry. 2022 Aug 10;21(1):30. doi: 10.1186/s12991-022-00410-5.

Authors

Alessandro Cuomo¹, Mario Amore², Maria Felice Arezzo³, Sergio De Filippis⁴, Alessandra De Rose³, Silvestro La Pia⁵, Alessandro Pirani⁶, Riccardo Torta⁷, Andrea Fagiolini⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy. alessandrocuomo86@gmail.com.
² Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Infant-Maternal Science, Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.
³ Department of Methods and Models for Economy, Territory, and Finance - Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italy.
⁴ Neuropsychiatric Clinic, Villa Von Siebenthal, Genzano di Roma, Italy.
⁵ Dipartimento di Salute Mentale, ASL Napoli 3 Sud, Napoli, Italy.
⁶ Center for Cognitive Disorders and Dementia, Health County of Ferrara, Cento, Italy.
⁷ Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
⁸ Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has generated an unprecedented global crisis that is profoundly affecting mental health and mental health care. The aim of this study was to survey a relatively large group of Italian physicians about their perceived impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of the Italian population and about their suggestions on the best strategies to address the current and future challenges.

Methods: One thousand two hundred eighty-one (1,281) physicians were surveyed between November 2021 and February 2022.

Results: Eighty-one percent of respondents reported an increase in the number of people with mental illness presenting to their practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thirty-four percent reported a 26-50% increase in the number of people with mental illness in their community; approximately 33% reported a 1-25% increase; and 26.9% reported a 51-75% increase. The most commonly reported mental issues that increased because of COVID-19 were agitation, mood and anxiety disorders. Regarding the suggested strategies to address future challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, 34.6% of respondents recommended providing psychoeducation to the general population for early detection of mental illness and developing strategies to reduce the impact of COVID-19-related stress. In addition, 12.6% of respondents suggested improving telehealth services, while 12.3% suggested the need for increased funding for community-based care. When asked about physicians' opinion on the possibility of an increased prevalence of mental illness in the next 12 months, more than 30% of them predicted an increase in stress-related illnesses, while 25.2% were more concerned about a worsening of the ongoing clinical conditions of patients with previous psychiatric disorders. However, 21% of respondents believed that people's ability to cope with the pandemic would increase in the next 12 months.

Conclusions: This study confirmed a strong and negative impact on the mental health of the past 2 years of COVID-19 pandemic in the Italian population. Providing psychoeducation to the general population and improving the availability of telemedicine services could reduce the impact of future challenges related to the pandemic.

Keywords: Agitation; Anxiety; COVID-19; Mental health; Physician.