Effects of the lockdown on the mental health of the general population during the Covid-19 pandemic in Italy

Results from the Comet collaborative network

Bibliographic Data

ID23364464
AuthorsA Fiorillo (0000-0002-6926-0762, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", corresponding author), Gaia Sampogna (0000-0002-9547-2793, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli"), Vincenzo Giallonardo (0000-0003-3294-1748, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli"), Valeria Del Vecchio (University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli"), Mario Luciano (0000-0002-4338-1371, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli"), Umberto Albert (0000-0001-9781-4219, University of Trieste), Claudia Carmassi (0000-0002-3662-8073, University of Pisa), Giuseppe Carrà (0000-0002-6877-6169, University of Milano-Bicocca), Francesca Cirulli (0000-0001-9440-1873), Bernardo Dell’Osso (0000-0001-9370-5365, University of Milan), Maria Giulia Nanni (0000-0002-1085-4339, University of Ferrara), Maurizio Pompili (0000-0003-1886-4977, Sapienza University of Rome), Gabriele Sani (0000-0002-9767-8752, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore), Alfonso Tortorella (0000-0002-8095-2305, University of Perugia), Umberto Volpe (0000-0001-9166-7609, Marche Polytechnic University)
Year2020
Volume63
Issue1
Publication date2020-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEuropean Psychiatry (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0924-9338 • E-ISSN: 1778-3585
PublisherRoyal College of Psychiatrists (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1192/j.eurpsy.2020.89
OpenAlexW3088032764
LanguageEN
Citations received75
References cited101

Background The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is an unprecedented traumatic event influencing the healthcare, economic, and social welfare systems worldwide. In order to slow the infection rates, lockdown has been implemented almost everywhere. Italy, one of the countries most severely affected, entered the “lockdown” on March 8, 2020. Methods The COvid Mental hEalth Trial (COMET) network includes 10 Italian university sites and the National Institute of Health. The whole study has three different phases. The first phase includes an online survey conducted between March and May 2020 in the Italian population. Recruitment took place through email invitation letters, social media, mailing lists of universities, national medical associations, and associations of stakeholders (e.g., associations of users/carers). In order to evaluate the impact of lockdown on depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms, multivariate linear regression models were performed, weighted for the propensity score. Results The final sample consisted of 20,720 participants. Among them, 12.4% of respondents ( N = 2,555) reported severe or extremely severe levels of depressive symptoms, 17.6% ( N = 3,627) of anxiety symptoms and 41.6% ( N = 8,619) reported to feel at least moderately stressed by the situation at the DASS-21. According to the multivariate regression models, the depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms significantly worsened from the week April 9–15 to the week April 30 to May 4 ( p p Conclusions Although physical isolation and lockdown represent essential public health measures for containing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, they are a serious threat for mental health and well-being of the general population. As an integral part of COVID-19 response, mental health needs should be addressed.

2019-20 coronavirus outbreak · Astronomy · Comet · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) · Disease · Environmental health · Mental health · Outbreak · Pandemic · Physics · Population · Psychiatry · Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) · COVID-19 and Mental Health · Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 · Medicine · Mental Health Treatment and Access · Psychology · Virology