Anxiety and depression among the most common mental disorders in Italy
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The pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the economic crisis have had a major impact on our psychological well-being. The last three years have contributed to the creation of an unprecedented atmosphere of instability and uncertainty, profoundly marking the state of mental health of the population in Italy and in Europe. Among the most common mental disorders in our country are anxiety and depression. But only one in three patients receives adequate medical treatment
This is what emerged from the Headway-Mental Health Index 2.0, created by The European House-Ambrosetti in collaboration with Angelini Pharma.
The report
The Report analyzed the various factors that influence the mental health of citizens in the 27 countries of the European Union and in the United Kingdom, using 55 indicators relating to environmental determinants, the state of health of the population and the system’s ability to respond to mental health needs.
Teenagers and the pandemic
The part of the population that has been most affected by the effects of the pandemic and the events of the last 3 years are adolescents: anxiety (28%), depression (23%), loneliness (5%), stress (5%) and fear (5 %) are the most commonly encountered mental health problems. According to the Report, the onset of mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety is also linked to a decrease in academic performance and often causes young people to drop out of school. On average across the EU, students with mental health problems are 24% more likely to repeat an exam.
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Childhood is also a key moment in a person’s life and growth and the school system represents an important tool in the development of good mental health for children and adolescents.
In fact, at least 50% of mental health disorders begin before the age of 15 and 80% of the latter manifest themselves before the age of 18, in some cases becoming a permanent problem for a person’s entire life.
20% of people of working age
Another index of the Report concerns the ability of European countries to respond to the needs of people with mental disorders within society, especially in schools and workplaces. Mental health problems affect around 20% of the working-age population and the employment rate of people with severe mental disorders is around 20-30% lower than those without it, also affecting average earnings .
The environmental factors
“For the first time since the initiative was launched in 2017, the Headway report examined the environmental determinants affecting mental health, understood as all external conditions that influence a person’s life, development and survival, underlining the significant impact of factors such as climate change, conflict and migration,” he commented Daniel Whitepartner and head of the Healthcare Area of The European House – Ambrosetti.
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Among the various factors is the crime rate, which varies widely between countries. In fact, the effects of acts of violence, regardless of whether it is experienced firsthand or not, have a negative impact above all on the increase in cases of depression. For Italy, this figure stands at 8%, in the middle of the table. Bullying also affects thousands of children and adolescents in the European Union and represents an important risk factor for mental health disorders in young people.
The suicides
In terms of impact on mental health, there are many points of attention. In Europe, mental and behavioral disorders and suicides account for 4.8% of total deaths. Italy occupies the 12th place, immediately after Spain, for the number of deaths.
During 2020, deaths caused by mental and behavioral disorders exceeded 250,000. Of these, over 52,000 are by suicide, which is the 4th cause of death in the population under the age of 20: Greece, Cyprus, Malta and Italy those with the lowest rate.
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Finland the most resilient country
The Report also noted the countries’ ability to react to such difficult situations: the most resilient country is Finland, while Italy is among the most exposed nations, think of the post-pandemic economic crisis, the fallout from the war in Ukraine and migratory flows and the risk of economic recession.
Even unfavorable housing conditions have a direct association with mental health: people living in overcrowded contexts are more likely to develop a mental disorder, including psychological distress and depression: in Italy, about 20% of the population lives in precarious.
Finally, urbanization, which implies a lower presence of green spaces that help relieve stress and anxiety, is associated with a growing incidence of mental disorders: Italy is in 21st place out of 28 countries.
Mental health in Europe
While data still reveal significant differences in mental health strategies, policies and legislation, and there are differences in mental health spending across European countries (Italy 3%), progress is being made with an increase in facilities dedicated outpatients, increased from 3.9 to 9.1 per 1,000 inhabitants at the European level.
Italy is ninth in the ranking of countries that have scored the highest scores regarding the quality of health care for mental disorders.
The priorities
As Europe grapples with an unprecedented mental health crisis, governments are taking steps to address the situation and provide the support their citizens need. The recent initiatives announced by the European Commission and by the governments of some countries demonstrate a growing commitment to recognizing and addressing the mental health challenge, which however is still not sufficient to fully manage the rapidly increasing needs among the population.
Although the assistance and treatment system for mental disorders in Italy still has significant room for improvement, some measures have been implemented in recent years such as, for example, the psychologist bonus. But more would be needed to meet the needs of patients.
Meanwhile, the new Technical Table for Mental Health has been established in the Ministry of Health which will have to prepare the guidelines for the improvement of the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation pathways of the entire population, with particular attention to the most fragile individuals and most affected by mental disorders. Furthermore, a bill is under discussion to establish the role of school psychologist at all levels, as Italy is the only European country that still does not have one.
While the European Commission has published the European Mental Health Strategy, which aims to provide a coordinated and targeted response to the mental health crisis, promoting policies and actions aimed at improving access to mental health services across the EU.
The costs of mental health
Mental disorders also affect state budgets. The overall costs related to mental health in Europe, which include among the indirect costs the productivity loss of patients and theirs caregivers, amount to 4% of total European GDP (over 600 billion euros). Approximately 45% of the European countries have already implemented work-related mental health promotion and prevention programmes, while 68% have implemented a national strategy or program focused on mental health promotion and prevention for children and teenagers.
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