Salta al menu principale di navigazione Salta al contenuto principale Salta al piè di pagina del sito

Contributi Scientifici

N. 56 (2020)

La funzione di contenimento delle comunità terapeutiche durante la pandemia Covid-19

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3280/mis56-2020oa13083
Inviata
21 December 2021
Pubblicato
30-12-2021

Abstract

Introduction
The response of therapeutic communities (TCs) to the pandemic emergency has not yet been studied in depth, despite the fact that the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (Higher Institute of Health) has stressed the close relationship between the pandemic and substance and behavioural addictions: while on the one hand, the Covid-19 context has aggravated problems of mental distress and led to an increase in the consumption of alcohol, psychotropic drugs and other substances, on the other hand, drug-addicted individuals and/or those with a psychiatric diagnosis, given their greater socio-sanitary vulnerability, run a greater risk of becoming infected and developing severe complications.
Method
The C-O-V-I-D experimental research measured the effectiveness of the measures taken by the TCs to combat infection and assessed the coping skills of guests and operators through the administration of paper and online questionnaires and interviews. The study, conducted between November 2020 and January 2021, involved 134 guests and 97 operators from 12 therapeutic communities belonging to the Italian Federation of Therapeutic Communities specialised in the treatment of patients with dual diagnosis.
Results
The measures for the prevention of Sars-CoV-2 infections adopted by the TCs were evaluated as effective by all the operators interviewed. This perception was reflected in the low number of positive cases in the TCs. However, physical distancing, the use of personal protective equipment and preventive and restrictive quarantines partially compromised the provision of care services. The majority of patients expressed nonetheless satisfaction with the support they received from caregivers and felt that they maintained a stable level of well-being. Caregivers experienced anxiety, fear, uncertainty and stress generally more than patients. The main critical elements were the poor collaboration with other territorial services and the lack of clear provisions and support from the competent authorities.
Conclusions
The TCs seem to have been a valid tool to contain the spread of the infection and the exacerbation of already compromised clinical pictures. The operational tools and personal resources deployed by the operators have made it possible to effectively manage the patients' emotional experiences. It seems desirable to give continuity to research and monitoring actions of the practices experimented in the TCs, with the aim of identifying possible improvement actions and creating a shared knowledge among the actors of the sector.

Riferimenti bibliografici

  1. Biondi M., Iannitelli A. (2020). Covid-19 e stress da pandemia: l’integrità mentale non ha alcun rapporto con la statistica. Riv Psichiatr, 55(3): 131-136.
  2. Brescianini S., Calamandrei G., Cirulli F., Gigantesco A., Medda E., Palumbo G., Picardi A., Stazi A.M., Venerosi A. (2020). L’impatto della pandemia Covid-19 sulla salute mentale: l’impegno in ISS. Centro di riferimento per le scienze comportamentali e la salute mentale.
  3. Brooks K.S., Webster R., Smith L., Woodland L., Wessely S., Greenberg N., Rubin G. (2020). The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence. THE LANCET.
  4. Burrai J., Roma P., Barchielli B., Biondi S., Cordellieri P., Fraschetti A., Pizzimenti A., Mazza C., Ferracuti S., Giannini A.M. (2020). Psycological and Emotional Impact of Patients living in psichiatric treatment communities during Covid-19 Lockdown in Italy. J. Clin. Med, 9: 3787.
  5. Camoletto L., Di Pino P., Ronconi S. (2020). I servizi di RDD ai tempi del Covid19. La ricerca di Forum Droghe, CNCA e ITARDD, I servizi ai tempi del Covid-19. Monitoraggio del sistema dei servizi di Riduzione del Danno e dei Ser.D. durante il lockdown, Coordinamento nazionale comunità di accoglienza.
  6. Clerici M., Carrà G., Segagni Lusignani G., Sciarini P., Borrelli P., Popa I. et al. (2005). PADDI Study-Psychiatric and Addictive Dual Disorder in Italy, Studio epidemiologico sulla comorbilità tra disturbi mentali e disturbi correlati all’uso di sostanze nei dipartimenti di Salute Mentale (DSM) italiani. Report finale.
  7. Corposanto C., Fotino M. (2020). Covid-19, le parole diagonali della Sociologia. Catanzaro: The diagonales.
  8. D’Agostino A., Demartini B., Cavallotti S., Gambini O. (2020). Mental health services in Italy during the covid-19 outbreak. THE LANCET, Psychiatry.
  9. D’Angelo D. (2020). Il nemico invisibile. Da grande paura a grande opportunità: quale? Collana Memorie di Pandemia; Laboratorio di Sociologia Pratica: Applicata e Clinica.
  10. Joshi G., Sharma G. (2020). Burnout: A risk factor amongst mental health professionals during Covid-19. Asian J Psychiatr, Dec, 54: 102300. DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102300.
  11. Migliorati L. (2020). Un sociologo nella zona rossa, rischio, paura, morte e creatività ai tempi di Covid-19. FrancoAngeli Open Access, collana Strutture e Culture Sociali, Milano.
  12. Osofsky J.D., Osofsky H.J., Mamon L.Y. (2020). Psychological and social impact of Covid-19. Psychological Trauma: Theory Research, Practice, and Policy.
  13. Pelizza L., Pupo S. (2020). Covid-19 epidemic and public mental health care in Italy: ethical considerations. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol, 55: 1093-1094.
  14. Prati G. (2021). Mental health and its psychosocial predictors during national quarantine in Italy against the coronavirus disease 2019. Anxiety, Stress & Coping, 34(2): 145-156.
  15. Soto Rubio A., Gimenez-Espert M. del Carmen, Prado Gasco V. (2020). Effect of Emotional Intelligence and Psychosocial Risks on Burnout, job satisfaction, and nurse’s health during the covid-19 pandemic. Int J Environ Res. Public Health, 17, 7998.
  16. Ucci F. (2021). L’indagine narrativa, da metodo di ricerca a strumento di lavoro. Collana On the road n. 7, edizioni Homeless Book.
  17. Zhu Z., Hui W., Zheng L., Xu S. et al. (2020). Covid-19 in Wuhan: sociodemographic characteristics and hospital support measures associated with the immediate Psychological impact on healthcare workers. EClinicalMedicine.

Metriche

Caricamento metriche ...