The psychosocial impact of COVID-19 pandemic in Italy: A lesson for mental health prevention in the first severely hit European country

Abstract

Italy was the first European country severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. While the containment measures were relatively effective in the acute phase, the current postemergency phase addressing the long-term psychosocial consequences is the key challenge for our healthcare system, where the importance of mental health prevention is not sufficiently recognized.