On January 9, the Order of Psychologists of Tuscany held their third annual press conference reporting on the mental health of residents in the region, in collaboration with the Psychometrics Laboratory from the Neurofarba Department of the University of Florence. The initiative started following rising concerns over mental health in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and the results showed a stark increase in a number of risk factors, but also encouragingly evidenced a sharp rise in the number of people seeking help for their various afflictions.
A lot of the conversation was centred around the psicologo di base, a forward-thinking initiative implemented by Regione Toscana in September, aiming to give citizens access to mental health services as part of the public health system, similar to how a regular GP for physical health works. As good as that sounds, the project is still in its early stages and there are currently only eight psychologists taking part in the region. There is plenty of work yet to be done, but it is proof of the fight to raise awareness about mental health issues, as demonstrated by the president of the Tuscan Regional Council, Antonio Mazzeo’s statement: “Everyone in this region is entitled to the same quality of treatment, from a resident of the smallest village in the Apuan mountains to urbanites in Florence.”
The vast majority, 88%, of the 644 psychologists who participated in the study were female (in Italy 8 out of 10 psychologists are female). The participants offer treatment to various age groups: 88% treat young adults (age 20-35), 80% treat teenagers and 79% treat adults (36-65). 34% treat children up to 11 years old and 23% treat the elderly (over 65). Most of the data comes from the province of Florence (38%) followed by Pisa (11%), Pistoia, Prato and Lucca (10%).
The report outlines the main problems for each age group and there are certain worrying patterns. Keeping in mind that the reported values correspond to people who are in treatment and not necessarily to the population as a whole, the symptom with the most prevalence is anxiety, which is present in 83% of children and young adults, 87% of teenagers, 72% of adults and 60% of the elderly. Depression heavily afflicts teenagers in treatment, with the symptom being reported among 70% of them, and worryingly self-harm is reported among 59%. The new hot button issue of digital addiction is affecting the younger generations, reported in 68% of children and teenagers, who also face similarly high values of social isolation, 62% and 68% respectively.
The report also focuses on addictions and at-risk behaviours for each age group. Teenagers who visit a psychologist are likely to use internet excessively (71%), play too many video games (63%), use tobacco products (61%), drink alcohol (54%) and use cannabis (45%). At risk factors for young adults are similar, with 58% using tobacco products, 52% drinking alcohol and 51% using the internet excessively. The main vice for adults is tobacco products (42%), while the elderly seem to lead healthier lifestyles, with the main addictions being sedatives (32%) and psychopharmaceuticals.
The above suggests worrying trends, especially for the younger generations, who seem to have been more affected by the Covid 19 pandemic. Let’s keep in mind though that these generations are also the most likely to open themselves up to the topic of mental health and be transparent about what they are experiencing, contrary to older generations who might be resistant. While the report did not outline how the data for Tuscany compares to other Italian regions, there is no reason to believe that these issues are geographical. We can at least be thankful that they are being taken seriously on the regional level, which is monitoring the situation and seeking to implement new solutions.
If you’re seeking an English-speaking mental health professional in Florence, have a look at this article.
