Rome, March 17 (beraking latest news Salute) – There is a psychological and psychiatric emergency linked to the pandemic that must be addressed immediately, “without further delay”. This is the summary of the letter-appeal sent to the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, to the Prime Minister Mario Draghi and to the Minister of Health Roberto Speranza, by over 80 psychiatrists and psychologists who have already joined the initiative promoted by the Brf-Institute Foundation for research in psychiatry and neuroscience. The letter asks, in particular, to “organize and support new research on the mental health-Covid-19 relationship, especially in the study of the long-term sequelae of disease”
“The state of apprehension and anxiety in the population generated by the worrying economic situation – explains the president of the Foundation, Armando Piccinni – is in turn contributing to increasing the number of people potentially in need of help. Mental distress must be addressed in its different ways. sides: psychological, psychiatric and social. This action cannot be further postponed “.
It is essential – it is argued in the letter to have continuous monitoring of suicidal gestures related to Covid -19 and at the same time to implement training and prevention actions. Telemedicine in this area will certainly have an important task. “In order for all this to take place – explains Piccinni – it is essential to strengthen, through special coordination actions, close connections between the different areas of health care, social support organizations, volunteers and third sector bodies”.
The appeal letter is signed by academics, researchers and professionals such as: Andrea Fagiolini (University of Siena), Davide Dettore (University of Florence), Donatella Marazziti (University of Pisa, Unicamillus Rome), Father Alberto Carrara (European University of Rome), Francesco Benedetti (San Raffaele), Leonardo Miscio (medical director of IRCCS National Cancer Institute “Pascale Foundation”), Tiziana Stallone (president of Enpab), Felice Damiano Torricelli (president of Enpap), Stefano Pallanti (Imperial College, UK), Giovanni De Girolamo ( Director of Epidemiological and Evaluative Psychiatry at the San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli Center).
Signatory psychiatrists and psychologists appeal “to the foresight of our President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, to the authority of the Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, and to the competence of the Minister of Health, Roberto Speranza, so that what risks, day after day, of turning into a dangerous social and human emergency, becomes one of the priorities of the work of this government “.
To the letter – available on the website www.fondazionebrf.org – “you can still adhere”, write the signatories in a note.