Stress and maladaptive unhealty behavior: The potential long-term psychological effects of the lockdown. An italian study

Aiming to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the Italian government declared a total lockdown imposing a forced home confinement which in turn caused significant changes in daily living, including economic, physical and mental health impacts. The goal of this study was to investigate the impact of restrictions on psychological well-being and changes in lifestyle and health habits. Participants were 419, with a mean age of 41,12 years. The 76,6% reported moderate or high levels of perceived stress. People with highest stress reported significantly lower mental health levels, such as the presence of depression, somatization, anxiety, insomnia and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Significant impact on mental health was given by the discomfort felt for living with other people or living alone. Participants living alone exhibited elevated depressive symptoms. Maladaptive unhealthy behaviour with negative changes in smoking and alcohol intake, eating pattern and physical activity were associated with higher depression, anxiety and posttraumatic symptoms in the course of the pandemic. As limitations: the sample included a large number of women and people with a high education level and the use of an online survey could have limited the participation of people unfamiliar with technological devices. People, during the lockdown, were strongly aff ected by stress and exhibit a presence of maladaptive unhealthy behavior associated with psychological problems which could be potential risk factors for possible long-term mental health eff ects. Results provide evidence that suggests the implementation of future health-promotion strategies in order to manage mental health outcomes due to lockdown measures.