A Nationwide Survey of Psychological Distress among Italian People during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Immediate Psychological Responses and Associated Factors

TLDR

The COVID‑19 outbreak prompted nationwide quarantine in Italy, which is known to impose significant psychological strain. The study seeks to determine the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms and identify risk and protective factors for psychological distress in the Italian general population. An online survey of 2,766 participants conducted from 18–22 March 2020 was analyzed using multivariate ordinal logistic regression to assess associations with sociodemographic factors, personality traits, depression, anxiety, and stress. Female gender, negative affect, and detachment were linked to higher depression, anxiety, and stress; acquaintance infection raised depression and stress; prior stressful events and medical problems increased depression and anxiety; family infection and young workers outside home heightened anxiety and stress, providing a benchmark for targeting interventions.

Abstract

The uncontrolled spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has called for unprecedented measures, to the extent that the Italian government has imposed a quarantine on the entire country. Quarantine has a huge impact and can cause considerable psychological strain. The present study aims to establish the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms and identify risk and protective factors for psychological distress in the general population. An online survey was administered from 18–22 March 2020 to 2766 participants. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression models were constructed to examine the associations between sociodemographic variables; personality traits; depression, anxiety, and stress. Female gender, negative affect, and detachment were associated with higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Having an acquaintance infected was associated with increased levels of both depression and stress, whereas a history of stressful situations and medical problems was associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety. Finally, those with a family member infected and young person who had to work outside their domicile presented higher levels of anxiety and stress, respectively. This epidemiological picture is an important benchmark for identifying persons at greater risk of suffering from psychological distress and the results are useful for tailoring psychological interventions targeting the post-traumatic nature of the distress.