Overall, there are over 110 million people living with a mental disorder in Europe and the pandemic has contributed to a 25% increase in the prevalence of anxiety and depressive problems. This is the picture outlined by the Headway – Mental Health Index 2.0 report created by The European House – Ambrosetti in partnership with Angelini Pharma, presented today in Rome at Montecitorio.
The segment of the population that has been most affected by the effects of the pandemic and the difficult events of the last three years is that of adolescents: anxiety, depression, loneliness, stress and fear are the most commonly encountered mental health problems and are linked to a decline school performance and in some cases to drop out of school. And it is no better among adults: in fact, 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 suffer from it, with repercussions also on average wages. The Report analyzed the various factors that determine the mental health status of citizens in the 27 countries of the European Union and in the United Kingdom and also points out that during 2020, the year in which the pandemic began, the deaths caused by mental and behavioral disorders amount to about 250 thousand and 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. “For the first time since the initiative was launched in 2017 – specifies Daniela Bianco, Partner and Healthcare Area Manager of The European House – Ambrosetti. the Headway report examined the environmental determinants affecting mental health, understood as all external conditions that influence a person’s life, development and survival, emphasizing the significant impact of factors such as climate change, conflicts and migrations”. The report also noted the countries’ ability to react to 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.