• Especially since the pandemic, the incidence of anxiety, depression and other forms of distress relating to mental health has visibly increased.
• At the same time, as the population ages, there is a rise in brain and neurological conditions.
• Last year, Italian public services took charge of around 770,000 people with mental disorders out of a total of around 3 million.

Mental health is just as important as physical health. This principle has become firmly established among the convictions of European Union citizens: 89 per cent of those surveyed by Eurobarometer reaffirm it. When theory meets practice, however, it emerges that fewer than half of respondents believe that a person showing some form of psychological or psychiatric distress receives the same level of support as someone with a physical problem. Two factors weigh heavily: stigma on the one hand, and a lack of resources on the other. This is a pressing issue, in Italy too, that comes back into focus on the occasion of World Mental Health Day, which falls on 10 October.

How many people are experiencing psychological or psychiatric distress

From the same Eurobarometer survey, conducted on a sample of 25,000 EU citizens, it emerges that 44 per cent of Italians have had emotional or psychosocial problems — such as anxiety or depression — in the past 12 months (the figure at European level is similar: 46 per cent). Of this 44 per cent, 17 per cent sought help from their GP, 12 per cent from a psychologist and 11 per cent from a psychiatrist. But more than half of these people — 56 per cent, to be precise — tried to manage on their own. Fourteen per cent of Italians believe their mental health has been affected by major world events: the pandemic first and foremost, but also the war in Ukraine, followed by the cost-of-living crisis. Another 48 per cent believe there has been an impact, but not as marked.

According to data gathered by The European House – Ambrosetti, 179 million people in the European Union are living with a brain or neurological condition, including 10 per cent of children and adolescents. Problems relating to the sphere of mental health — which encompasses psychological, emotional and social wellbeing — affected 84 million European citizens before the pandemic. This figure has inevitably been overtaken, given that the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that in the first year of the health emergency the global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25 per cent. Young people are a particular cause for concern. The same Eurobarometer survey (dating back to 2023) reveals that, among Europeans aged between 15 and 24, 60 per cent suffer from low self-esteem, 52 per cent have difficulty concentrating and 47 per cent show a tendency towards social isolation.

The scarce resources dedicated to mental health in Italy

The National College of Directors of Mental Health Departments reports that last year Italian public services took charge of 770,000 people with mental disorders. According to epidemiological estimates, however, around three million people suffer from them. At least two million are left without support. Many are "lost along the way" during the delicate period of adolescence: once they reach the age limit for paediatric care, only 12 per cent of young people with psychiatric problems access services for adults. This count is, moreover, very partial, as it refers only to the most serious disorders.

The major obstacle lies in stigma but, equally and above all, in a lack of resources. The statement from the National College of Directors of Mental Health Departments is very clear on this point: mental health needs at least a further two billion euros and around 7,500 more practitioners. Today, just 2.5 per cent of the national and regional health fund is allocated to psychiatric care. The joint State-Regions Conference had planned to reach 5 per cent for adult mental health alone. It had also set a ratio of 83 psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses and educators per 100,000 inhabitants; today we are far from that, with just 55 practitioners per 100,000 inhabitants.

Investing in mental health is worthwhile, economically too

Two billion euros might seem like a large sum. But it is an investment, not a cost. The report by The European House – Ambrosetti reveals that European countries' public health systems already bear a cost of 800 billion euros a year for brain and neurological conditions, a figure set to rise as the population ages. For the sphere of mental health, which sometimes (but not always) overlaps with that of such conditions, the estimated economic impact pre-Covid was around 600 billion euros. This is divided between healthcare expenditure proper, social security programmes and the indirect costs that fall on the labour market. It has in fact been demonstrated that people with health problems have a far lower employment rate than that of the general population.

Preventing, identifying and addressing psychological distress from its earliest signs is by far the most forward-looking approach. The United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), for example, carried out an analysis of various school-based interventions. For every euro invested in group cognitive behavioural therapy for depression, a return of 57 euros is achieved. For social-emotional learning programmes, the return is even higher: 225 euros for every euro invested. For every euro spent on mental health promotion and early interventions during adolescence, finally, the estimated economic benefits amount to 24 euros. And they unfold over the long term, because a person who is psychologically well has the tools to experience study and work in a more serene (and therefore productive) way.