In the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak, high rates of clinically relevant anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) have been reported in the Italian population. The persistence of the pandemic and related restrictive measures highlight the need for a reassessment of psychopathological symptoms. The present longitudinal study consisted of two evaluations conducted during the two waves of infection. Participants were asked to complete the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Form Y1 (STAI Y1), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), and the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). There were no significant differences in depressive symptoms and PTSS scores reported by participants between T0 and T1, with single-case analysis revealing that in 71% and 69% of the participants, depressive symptoms and PTSS symptoms, respectively, remained stable during this period. On the contrary, mean scores comparison showed a significant decrease in anxiety levels, with 19% of participants in whom anxiety symptoms improved at single-case analysis. Taken together, these results suggest that depressive symptoms and PTSS not only occurred in a high percentage of participants but also tended to remain stable over time, thus warranting the importance of large-scale psychological screening and interventions to prevent the chronicization of these symptoms and their evolution to psychopathological disorders.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, Depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, Post-traumatic stress symptoms, Italian population, longitudinal design, 【초록키워드】 Evolution, pandemic, Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, Infection, Intervention, Symptoms, COVID-19 outbreak, persistence, Psychological, early stage, Analysis, Participants, no significant difference, disorders, STAI, Beck, measure, participant, contrary, significant decrease, checklist, DSM-5, Complete, Prevent, inventory, depressive symptom, anxiety symptom, highlight, occurred, reported, remained, clinically, conducted, asked, mean score, post-traumatic stress symptom, these symptom, 【제목키워드】 Population, Wave, second, Italian,