Awareness and concern: this is the attitude of Italians towards mental illness, according to a survey carried out by Ipsos on a representative sample of the adult population and promoted by Janssen Italia, the pharmaceutical company of Johnson & Johnson: mental health is considered a priority (87%), as much as physical health. This figure is even more significant when we consider that 4 out of 10 Italians are not satisfied with their mental state and 1 out of 3 Italians consider their mental health to be at greater risk today than 3-4 years ago. The highest incidence is found among women (42% compared to 31% of men) and young people (42% in the 18-45 age group compared to 32% in the 46-75 age group).
And it was young people who were the protagonists of the event "Socialised Minds - Youth Mental Health in the Social Era", organised by the University of Milano-Bicocca and Janssen, a pharmaceutical company of the Johnson & Johnson Group, on the occasion of World Mental Health Day 2023.
The aim of the meeting, which was attended by institutional representatives, clinicians, patients' associations and company representatives, as well as Mr Rain as a special guest, was to involve the young population in a debate on mental health, extending the reflection also to the world of social networks, to examine how these platforms can be used to catch young people in distress and/or to offer help to those living with these pathologies, always with the support of a specialist.
"We are honoured today to host this event dedicated to mental health and in particular to young people," said Guido Cavaletti, Pro-Rector for Research at the University of Milano-Bicocca, in his opening speech. "Today it is clear that the role of universities - and of all those who accompany students in their education - cannot and must not be limited to the mere transmission of knowledge or training for a profession, but must be concerned with the realisation of the individual in his or her entirety. We too can play an important role, both in promoting a culture that is open and sensitive to the issue of mental distress among young people, and in supporting the most vulnerable in their studies.
This is a challenge that can only be tackled in a multidisciplinary and systemic way, all the more so considering that, according to a recent Deloitte-Janssen study, the health expenditure dedicated to mental health in Italy is currently seriously inadequate and an additional €1.9 billion over three years will be needed in the future to bridge the resource gap in response to just some of the critical issues identified in the study (e.g. personnel, hospital expenditure, awareness campaigns, etc.).
The importance of tackling the stigma of mental distress, supporting young people to seek help and the role of social media were some of the issues raised during the debate, which was enriched by the presentation of the results of a study conducted by the University of Milano-Bicocca and the University of Surrey (UK) on the mental health of young people at university.
Generalised anxiety and social symptoms were widely reported by young people in both countries (67% of respondents) as the most widespread negative effects of the pandemic. In particular, loneliness and excessive time spent online emerged as the main factors associated with poorer mental health, along with unhealthy time and space management, low motivation and insecurity. A closer look reveals that anxiety and depressive symptoms (mild to moderate) affect around 20 per cent of the young people surveyed, often with a negative impact on school work.
"When we read these data on the prevalence of anxiety and depression among young people, we realise the extent of a phenomenon that necessarily requires new approaches, not only from a clinical point of view, but also from a public health point of view. - comments Giuseppe Carrà, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Milano-Bicocca - This confirms the importance of identifying social determinants, modifiable factors that can provoke, trigger and maintain these symptoms in young people. From a public health perspective, the research highlights how preventive initiatives and clinical interventions, including through the use of digital tools, including social media, must aim to break the vicious circle between social adversity and psychopathology'.
A discussion on mental health could not be held without the contribution of those who live in direct contact with people suffering from these disorders, such as the Fondazione Progetto Itaca and the Fondazione Bullone, whose representatives gave voice to the experiences and points of view of patients.
"We know that young people are going through a particularly sensitive period in their lives when their personal balance is being established. We are convinced that we need to work on three fronts: raising awareness in society to overcome stigma and prejudice, promoting accurate information to encourage prevention, and supporting those affected and their families. For some time now, we have been effectively using digital tools to reach thousands of people with our messages," explains Francesco Baglioni, director of the Itaca Milan project.
A vision shared by Bullone, as Sofia Segre Reinach, Director General of the Bullone Foundation, explains: "Our role is to accompany young people who have or have had serious and chronic illnesses, including mental illnesses, to rediscover their own identity, where the illness is part of the experience of life but not the whole of it. In addition to the hospitals and associations with which we work, we are increasingly intercepting the widespread discomfort among young people: in schools, in social networks, in the young people we meet on a daily basis. Loneliness, anxiety, confusion, anger and the inability to see a way out are becoming more and more common and perhaps more and more explicit, thanks also to the amplification provided by digital technology. Let us try to shed light on fragility and not hide behind it. If we are all able to accept it and share it as part of the human experience, it will be easier to help our young people not to feel isolated, not to feel ashamed, but to shed light on their own resources and their own personal and professional journeys. So that together we can build a truly more inclusive and better society.
Valeria Locati, psychologist, family psychotherapist and founder of the blog "Una psicologa in città", agrees with this approach: "As we have seen from the research data of the University of Milan-Bicocca, the wide diffusion and the guarantee of anonymity of digital tools are perceived as strengths that make them suitable for preventive interventions and support in the treatment of mental distress. However, we cannot ignore the fact that there are also disadvantages compared to face-to-face interventions, in particular a lower perceived effectiveness, lack of personalisation and difficulty of involvement. Therefore, the best solution seems to be a multimodal integration that judiciously mixes digital tools and face-to-face interventions according to specific situations and purposes".
In such a complex and constantly evolving context, in which an increasing number of people, starting with but not limited to young people, are faced with a deterioration in their mental health that can lead to real pathologies, the role of companies is also fundamental, both in terms of providing information and raising awareness against the stigma of mental distress, and in terms of research in the field of neuroscience and depression.
"Italy is at the bottom of the European league in terms of the proportion of health expenditure devoted to mental health (OECD data), far behind other high-income countries (e.g. the UK, Germany, Norway and France), spending only about 3.4%, whereas the recommendations of the Lancet Commission on Global Mental Health and Sustainable Development suggest a minimum threshold of 10%. - Alessandra Baldini, Medical Director of Janssen Italia, a pharmaceutical company within the Johnson & Johnson group, says: "In this context, Janssen is committed not only to developing new therapies, but also to supporting initiatives aimed at increasing knowledge about the disease. For example, in 2020 we launched the 'Depression can't be beaten with words' campaign, which aims to reach 1.5 million patients and 4 million caregivers to help them understand how to recognise the early warning signs of mental distress and how to treat depression in an appropriate and timely manner. Our aim now is to continue to dialogue and collaborate with all stakeholders in the system and develop strategic partnerships with different realities to play our part and encourage innovation that will bring great benefits to our NHS (SSN Servizio Sanitario Nazionale N.d.R).
In an event aimed at young people, the voice of someone who speaks to them every day with his work and music could not be missing. The guest star of the event was Mr Rain, the Italian singer-songwriter and record producer who came 3rd at the last edition of the Sanremo Festival with the song Supereroi. It was the song presented in Sanremo that inspired his speech, in which he appealed to young people to find the strength to give voice to their discomfort: "It is true that sometimes asking for help frightens us, that giving voice to our inner suffering seems an insurmountable challenge. But when we manage to break down this wall of distrust, we find that everything becomes easier, that we can find companions capable of supporting us even in the most difficult moments, be they friends, relatives, therapists or professionals. We are often convinced that our pains, difficulties and discomforts are unique, but when we manage to open up to others, we discover that there are many other boys and girls like us who feel the same emotions and experience the same situations. That's why I repeat my appeal: don't be afraid to ask for help, it's just one step and everything can change".