Short-term psychological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic: Results of the first wave of an ecological daily study in the Italian population

Emanuele Preti; Rossella Di Pierro; Gaia Perego; Marta Bottini; Erica Casini; Elena Ierardi; Fabio Madeddu; Martina Mazzetti; Cristina Riva Crugnola; Paola Taranto; Valentina Di Mattei

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2021.114206

Short-term psychological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic: Results of the first wave of an ecological daily study in the Italian population

Psychiatry Res. 2021 Nov:305:114206. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2021.114206. Epub 2021 Sep 6.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, University of Milan-Bicocca, Piazza dell'Ateneo Nuovo, 1, 20126 Milan, Italy; Bicocca Center for Applied Psychology, University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: emanuele.preti@unimib.it.
² Department of Psychology, University of Milan-Bicocca, Piazza dell'Ateneo Nuovo, 1, 20126 Milan, Italy; Bicocca Center for Applied Psychology, University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy.
³ Department of Psychology, University of Milan-Bicocca, Piazza dell'Ateneo Nuovo, 1, 20126 Milan, Italy.
⁴ Clinical and Health Psychology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina, 60, 20126, Milan, Italy.
⁵ Clinical and Health Psychology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina, 60, 20126, Milan, Italy; School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Olgettina, 58, 20126, Milan, Italy.

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic involved several psychosocial consequences. We aimed at monitoring the mental health of Italian adults during the lockdown imposed by the government. We present here results from the baseline assessment of the "EmotionalThermometer [TermometroEmotivo] project on a sample of 1548 Italian adults. We assessed the socio-demographic conditions of participants, individuals' perception of the COVID-19-situation, psychological distress, emotion regulation strategies, and perceived social support. Having a worse representation of COVID-19 and consulting news more frequently, with higher anxiety and less credibility of different sources of information, were positively associated with psychological distress and post-traumatic responses. Being female, younger age, living in high-risk regions, having symptoms of COVID-19, and having relatives/friends with such symptoms represented risk factors for a worse perception of COVID-19 and distress. Social support and cognitive reappraisal represented protective factors for mental health.

Keywords: COVID-19; emotion regulation; mental health; post-traumatic stress; psychological distress; social support.

MeSH terms

Adult
COVID-19*
Communicable Disease Control
Female
Humans
Italy / epidemiology
Pandemics*
SARS-CoV-2