For many Italians, facing life with a smile is anything but obvious: stress, anxiety and other negative emotions represent the daily battle of an important part of the beautiful country, which however often gives up on getting help due to the costs. This was revealed by new research from the Unisalute Health Observatory, which together with nomisma questioned a representative sample of the national population on issues related to psychological health.
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Research
Looking at the past year, 43% of those interviewed say they have struggled to maintain a good mood: one in three (33%) say they have had many ups and downs, and one in ten (10%) say they have been mainly sad. Only one in three say they were in a good mood most of the time (30%) or even in an excellent mood (3%). In more detail, stress seems to be the most widespread negative state of mind, with 38% saying they feel stressed “often” (29%), or even “regularly, almost every day” (9%).
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Those most affected are women (43%) but especially young people: among those under 30, almost one in two (47%) declares that they experience stress often or regularly. Other common symptoms are the feeling of being nervous and tense – perceived by 32% of people, with peaks of 36% and 40% among women and young people – and a state of excessive anxiety, which affects 27% of the total sample, but as many as 32% of women and 34% of those under 30.
Health, family and work
The survey also shows what the causes of these negative emotions are: the state of personal health and that of loved ones appears to be the main reason for concern (24%), followed by family organization (19%), the economic situation (18%). ) and problems related to the work context (15%).
To manage difficult moments from an emotional and psychological point of view, ‘do-it-yourself’ solutions – such as natural remedies or sport – are the most used (27%), followed by pharmacist advice (17%) and of the general practitioner (16%). Only 12% opted for the support of a psychologist or psychotherapist, despite 62% of Italians saying they would turn to these figures if necessary, including through remote sessions and video consultations (25% would prefer this method).
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The research then investigated the reasons behind this limited use of specialists: many interviewees think it is better to wait for the difficult moment to pass on its own (38%), or that their case is not serious enough (27%).
However, economic considerations also weigh heavily: 28% of those who have not resorted to a psychologist or psychotherapist, despite having had difficulties, say they did not do so because the costs were too expensive.
However, Italians seem aware of the importance of psychological health: they indicate stress as the factor that more than any other – together with lifestyle – has the greatest impact on their current psycho-physical state (34%), and almost two out of three (64%) believe that a balanced emotional and mental state is essential for good health.