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European countries are slowly beginning to get used to life in the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic. Italy, one of the countries most affected by the pandemic, has relaxed its measures of social isolation, but the pandemic has left its mark on the mental health of its inhabitants:
According to new research from security company Kaspersky, Italy is the loneliest nation in Europe, with three in five Italians (59%) feeling lonely since April 2020.
More than a third (37 percent) of Italians say they feel more alone than before the pandemic broke out. Unsurprisingly, these feelings were mainly evoked among Italians by the fact that they could not meet their friends or family in person (78%) or that they could not adore their hobby or play sports (49%).
There is also a trend in Europe that people living in urban areas are more likely to feel lonely than those living in rural areas. Italy is no exception, with three out of five Italians living in small or large cities (61%) feeling lonely during a pandemic, while only less than half of those surveyed (48%) lived in rural villages. By comparison, 54% of all European respondents living in urban areas have felt lonely since the crisis began, compared to just 45% of those living elsewhere.
Kathleen saxton The psychotherapist, founder of Psyched, says that it is not surprising that Italy has been so strongly influenced by social distancing measures, since the Italian nation is known precisely for its community spirit and strong family ties.
The fact that we cannot be with our loved ones and those who can comfort us just when our emotional, physical, material and spiritual well-being is in danger is a feeling that they are suddenly pushed into extreme poverty. “
Said the specialist.
Kaspersky found that the vast majority of Italians (84 percent), like their European counterparts, used technology to help ease their loneliness during a pandemic. More than two-thirds (70%) of respondents in Italy said that phone calls, video calls, and instant messaging helped them feel less lonely, and more than half (53 percent) tried to alleviate their loneliness by watching TV, movies, or listening to music.
Compared to Italians, other European nations have suffered a little less loneliness since the start of the pandemic: in France, for example, 56%, Germany 48%, Holland 46%, Spain 50% and the United Kingdom 55%, but among the ten loneliest countries. Hungary by 50 percent.
(Featured image: GettyImages)
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