Stressed-out Italians: The Government is concerned about the mental health of its citizens
COVID-19 has put a strain on the many affected by the disease, but not only. While the unfortunates who fell sick have experienced symptoms ranging from the more to less serious, their families, health care personnel, and all those who have experienced the tremendous impact of the pandemic directly or indirectly, have also often been affected by profound malaise.
The whole of Italy and its resilient people who sang “everything will be fine” from their flag-decorated balconies have been very stressed by the spread of the pandemic, which is still ongoing but – seemingly – less incisive than before, carrying wounds to the soul, from which it is difficult to recover without the help of a specialist. And this is where the mental health of citizens has become a national priority, so much so that Mario Draghi’s government has launched the Psychologist Bonus. In other words, a measure that essentially reimburses citizens for expenses incurred to regain their mental balance with the support of a therapist, for a minimum of 600 euros per person up to a maximum of 1800 euros per family unit.
Neither income nor the type of work held affect the payment of the bonus, and the reimbursement is intended to be, in the intention of the promoters, an across-the-board aid for all those who wish to benefit from it. The Government’s attention to this delicate aspect of the recent life of the population has generated a great deal of attention on the subject and has amplified the value of a psychological crutch for all those who still bear the signs of post-traumatic stress: a well-known phenomenon in the mysterious functioning of the human mind.
Post-traumatic stress is nothing more than the state of malaise – which can take the forms of anxiety, paranoia, insomnia … – which derives from having suffered a more or less serious trauma. The unease that the explosion and the spread of the pandemic have generated has left indelible traces on many people in the Bel Paese. And counting only on people’s (almost) rediscovered freedom, the sun and holidays to face up to and solve the problems caused by long isolation is not enough.
