The Psychological well-being in Liguria before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

In the last years, the Ligurian Board of Psychologists have investigated the psychological well-being of the Ligurian citizens, facing an increased psychological discomfort and a high usage of antidepressants in the Ligurian population compared to the Italian population (SISM Reports 2015 - 2018). The current study reports two collections of data on independent samples relevant to the psychological well-being of the Ligurian citizens before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, using an online survey. The results suggest that the pandemic had an impact on citizens’ well-being. In particular, a growth of potential depressive disorder and the presence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder were observed. In spite of a diminished perceived psychological well-being, the proportion of individuals that reported using psychological support services didn’t increase, especially concerning the male population, who refer to those services to a lesser degree compared to the female citizens. Moreover, data showed that people with a higher education tend to address mental health professionals to a higher degree.