Changes in youth public psychiatric service utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy: an observational study
The different lockdowns implemented during the COVID-19 outbreaks markedly affected the mental health of minors, as suggested by the increased use of AD/AP medications, which can be considered a proxy of diseases. The increased use of AD/AP medications in the observed period calls for interventions to improve the mental health of the population. These findings highlight the need to ensure effective public health interventions to be prepared for future crises.
Authors
- C Fornari
- Giacomo Crotti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1053-1046)
- Ippazio Cosimo Antonazzo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8046-4574)
- Lorenzo Losa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1451-1878)
- Alberto Zucchi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1592-6773)
- Giampiero Mazzaglia
- Pietro Ferrara
- Paolo Angelo Cortesi
- Alexandra Maria Piraino
Institutions
- University of Bergamo (IT)
- University of Ferrara (IT)
- Health Protection Agency (MV)
- IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano (IT)
- Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IT)
- University of Milano-Bicocca (IT)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Frontiers in Pharmacology
- Published
- 2026-02-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2026.1708009
- Primary Topic
- COVID-19 and Mental Health
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00