https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2025.831
District Functional Unit for Adolescents 2022: a pilot project in Italy to detect mental health strengths and difficulties among youth
Submitted: September 26, 2024
Accepted: January 22, 2025
Published: February 13, 2025
Accepted: January 22, 2025
Abstract Views: 152
PDF: 76
SUPPLEMENTARY: 5
SUPPLEMENTARY: 5
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Authors
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted young people’s mental health, leading to increased distress and reduced life satisfaction worldwide. Among the worst-hit countries, Italy saw mental health services shift online, prioritizing urgent cases. Consequently, therapy for many individuals was interrupted, leaving young people largely neglected. In response, the Italian government allocated €8 million for youth mental health initiatives during the pandemic, and the Veneto region utilized €2 million to establish the District Functional Unit for Adolescents (UFDA) within its public Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services to provide specialized care for young people. The pilot phase was implemented between April and December 2022. This study reports preliminary findings on UFDA’s effectiveness in Padua’s Local Health Unit. The main objectives include describing patient characteristics and assessing the intervention outcomes. The study involved 255 youths, representing 71.43% of patients at UFDA (mean: 14.4; range: 12-24 years), and 170 parents. Self- and informant-report versions of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) were administered. A regional questionnaire was used to describe the patient profiles, and the intervention progress record documented anamnestic data and clinical progress of patients. The study revealed positive intervention outcomes despite the limited number of psychotherapy sessions. Results of the SDQ highlighted improvements in all difficulty scales after the intervention. The UFDA pilot project underscores the potential of a preventive, youth-centered approach to address young people’s mental health needs. The insights from this study can inform strategies to enhance youth mental health care in post-COVID-19 Italy.
Allegato A, D. (2021). DGR n. 1215 del 07 settembre.
Allegato B, D. (2021). n. 1215 del 07 settembre 2021.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58292-0_190278
Amran, M. S. (2022). Psychosocial risk factors associated with mental health of adolescents amidst the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. The International journal of social psychiatry, 68(1), 6–8. doi: 10.1177/0020764020971008
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0020764020971008
Arnett, J. J. (2014). Emerging Adulthood: The Winding Road from the Late Teens through the Twenties (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199929382.001.0001
Barbieri, V., Wiedermann, C. J., Kaman, A., Erhart, M., Piccoliori, G., & Plagg, B. (2022). Quality of Life and Mental Health in Children and Adolescents after the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Large Population-Based Survey in South Tyrol, Italy. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(9), 5220. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19095220
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095220
Bassi, G., Mancinelli, E., Boldrini, B., Mondini, G., Ferruzza, E., & Riso, D. (2022). Perception of Changing Habits among Italian Children and Adolescents during COVID-19 Quarantine: An Epidemiological Study. Children, 9(6), 806. doi: 10.3390/children9060806
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/children9060806
Beam, C. R., & Kim, A. J. (2020). Psychological sequelae of social isolation and loneliness might be a larger problem in young adults than older adults. Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy, 12(S1), S58–S60. doi: 10.1037/tra0000774
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000774
Bentley, N., Hartley, S., & Bucci, S. (2019). Systematic Review of Self-Report Measures of General Mental Health and Wellbeing in Adolescent Mental Health. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 22(2), 225–252. doi: 10.1007/s10567-018-00273-x
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-018-00273-x
Blakemore, S. J., & Mills, K. L. (2014). Is Adolescence a Sensitive Period for Sociocultural Processing? Annual Review of Psychology, 65(1), 187–207. doi: 10.1146/annurev-psych-010213-115202
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010213-115202
Booth, C., Moreno-Agostino, D., & Fitzsimons, E. (2023). Parent-adolescent informant discrepancy on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in the UK Millennium Cohort Study. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 17(1), 57. doi: 10.1186/s13034-023-00605-y
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-023-00605-y
Brann, P., Lethbridge, M. J., & Mildred, H. (2018). The young adult Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in routine clinical practice. Psychiatry Research, 264, 340–345. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.03.001
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2018.03.001
Caffo, E., Scandroglio, F., & Asta, L. (2020). Debate: COVID‐19 and psychological well‐being of children and adolescents in Italy. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 25(3), 167–168. doi: 10.1111/camh.12405
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.12405
Chavira, D. A., Ponting, C., & Ramos, G. (2022). The impact of COVID-19 on child and adolescent mental health and treatment considerations. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 157(104169). doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2022.104169
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2022.104169
D’Agostino, A., Demartini, B., Cavallotti, S., & Gambini, O. (2020). Mental health services in Italy during the COVID-19 outbreak. The Lancet. Psychiatry, 7(5), 385–387. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30133-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30133-4
Davey, C. G., Yücel, M., & Allen, N. B. (2008). The emergence of depression in adolescence: Development of the prefrontal cortex and the representation of reward. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 32(1), 1–19. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2007.04.016
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2007.04.016
De France, K., Hancock, G., Stack, D., Serbin, L., & Hollenstein, T. (2022). The mental health implications of COVID-19 for adolescents: Follow-up of a four-wave longitudinal study during the pandemic. The American Psychologist, 77(1), 85–99. doi: 10.1037/amp0000838
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000838
De Girolamo, G., Cerveri, G., Clerici, M., Monzani, E., Spinogatti, S., & Starace, F. (2020). Mental Health in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Emergency—The Italian Response. JAMA Psychiatry, 77(9), 974. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.1276
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.1276
De Los Reyes, A., Augenstein, T., Wang, M., Thomas, S., Drabick, D., & Burgers, D. (2015). The Validity of the Multi-Informant Approach to Assessing Child and Adolescent Mental Health. Psychological Bulletin, 141(4), 858–900. doi: 10.1037/a0038498
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038498
De Los Reyes, A., Thomas, S., Goodman, K., & Kundey, S. (2013). Principles Underlying the Use of Multiple Informants’ Reports. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 9, 123–149. doi: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-050212-185617
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-050212-185617
Delibera della Giunta Regionale. (2021). Dettaglio Deliberazione della Giunta Regionale. Bollettino Ufficiale della Regione del Veneto [Internet]. Available from: https://bur.regione.veneto.it/BurvServices/Pubblica/DettaglioDgr.aspx?id=457329
Ezeoke, O. M., Kanaley, M. K., Brown, D. A., Negris, O. R., Das, R., & Lombard, L. S. (2022). The impact of COVID-19 on adolescent wellness in Chicago. Child: Care, Health and Development, 48(6), 886–890. doi: 10.1111/cch.12994
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12994
Farello, G., D’Andrea, M., Quarta, A., Grossi, A., Pompili, D., & Altobelli, E. (2022). Children and Adolescents Dietary Habits and Lifestyle Changes during COVID-19 Lockdown in Italy. Nutrients, 14(10), 2135. doi: 10.3390/nu14102135
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14102135
Gabrielli, S., Rizzi, S., Bassi, G., Carbone, S., Maimone, R., & Marchesoni, M. (2021). Engagement and Effectiveness of a Healthy-Coping Intervention via Chatbot for University Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Mixed Methods Proof-of-Concept Study. JMIR MHealth UHealth, 9(5), e27965. doi: 10.2196/27965
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2196/27965
Goodman, R. (1997). The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: A research note. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38(5), 581–586. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1997.tb01545.x
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.1997.tb01545.x
Gray, E. J., Scott, J. G., Lawrence, D. M., & Thomas, H. J. (2021). Concordance between adolescents and parents on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: Analysis of an Australian nationally representative sample. The Australianm & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 55(11), 1058–1070. doi: 10.1177/00048674211009610
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00048674211009610
Hetrick, S. E., Bailey, A. P., Smith, K. E., Malla, A., Mathias, S., Singh, S. P., O’Reilly, A., Verma, S. K., Benoit, L., Fleming, T. M., Moro, M. R., Rickwood, D. J., Duffy, J., Eriksen, T., Illback, R., Fisher, C. A., & McGorry, P. D. (2017). Integrated (one‐stop shop) youth health care: Best available evidence and future directions. Medical Journal of Australia, 207(S10). doi: 10.5694/mja17.00694
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5694/mja17.00694
Istituito Superiore di Sanita. (2023). Comunicato Stampa N°08/2023—Gli adolescenti italiani dopo la pandemia nella fotografia dell’ISS: 1 giovane su 2 ha dichiarato un effetto positivo nei rapporti famigliari, ma 2 su 5 ne hanno riconosciuto gli effetti negativi sulla salute mentale. Available from: https://www.iss.it/-/comunicato-stampa-n%C2%B008/2023-gli-adolescenti-italiani-dopo-la-pandemia-nella-fotografia-dell-iss-1-giovane-su-2-ha-dichiarato-un-effetto-positivo-nei-rapporti-famigliari-ma-2-su-5-ne-hanno-riconosciuto-gli-effetti-negativi-sulla-salute-mentale
Kawabe, K., Horiuchi, F., Uno, H., Nakachi, K., Hosokawa, R., & Oka, Y. (2021). Parent-Adolescent Agreement on Adolescents’ Emotional and Behavioral Problems Assessed by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Global Pediatric Health, 8(2333794). doi: 10.1177/2333794X211001245
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/2333794X211001245
Krause, K. R., Chung, S., Rodak, T., Cleverley, K., Butcher, N. J., & Szatmari, P. (2022). Assessing the impact of mental health difficulties on young people’s daily lives: Protocol for a scoping umbrella review of measurement instruments. BMJ Open, 12(4), e054679. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-054679
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-054679
Lee, J. (2020). Mental health effects of school closures during COVID-19. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 4(6), 421. doi: 10.1016/S2352-4642(20)30109-7
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(20)30109-7
Li, Y., Zhou, Y., Ru, T., Niu, J., He, M., & Zhou, G. (2021). How does the COVID-19 affect mental health and sleep among Chinese adolescents: A longitudinal follow-up study. Sleep Medicine, 85, 246–258. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2021.07.008
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2021.07.008
Lipari, R. N., Hedden, S., Blau, G., & Rubenstein, L. (2016). Adolescent Mental Health Service Use and Reasons for Using Services in Specialty, Educational, and General Medical Settings. In The CBHSQ Report. (pp. 1–16). Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US).
Lippke, S., Fischer, M. A., & Ratz, T. (2021). Physical Activity, Loneliness, and Meaning of Friendship in Young Individuals - A Mixed-Methods Investigation Prior to and During the COVID-19 Pandemic With Three Cross-Sectional Studies. Frontiers in psychology, 12, 617267. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.617267
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.617267
Magson, N. R., Freeman, J. Y. A., Rapee, R. M., Richardson, C. E., Oar, E. L., & Fardouly, J. (2021). Risk and Protective Factors for Prospective Changes in Adolescent Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of youth and adolescence, 50(1), 44–57. doi: 10.1007/s10964-020-01332-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-020-01332-9
Mancinelli, E., & Salcuni, S. (2023). LOOK@ME project: A network approach to facilitate the screening of at-risk youth. Available from: https://www.research.unipd.it/handle/11577/3487011?mode=full
Mancinelli, E., Sukhija, V. J., & Salcuni, S. (Under Review). Network Analysis for the identification of key constructs to ease screening efforts of at-risk adolescents: Evidence from the LOOK@ME project. Scientific Report.
McGorry, P. D., Mei, C., Chanen, A., Hodges, C., Alvarez‐Jimenez, M., & Killackey, E. (2022). Designing and scaling up integrated youth mental health care. World Psychiatry, 21(1), 61–76. doi: 10.1002/wps.20938
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20938
McGorry, P. D., Mei, C., Dalal, N., Alvarez-Jimenez, M., Blakemore, S.-J., Browne, V., Dooley, B., Hickie, I. B., Jones, P. B., McDaid, D., Mihalopoulos, C., Wood, S. J., Azzouzi, F. A. E., Fazio, J., Gow, E., Hanjabam, S., Hayes, A., Morris, A., Pang, E., & Killackey, E. (2024). The Lancet Psychiatry Commission on youth mental health. The Lancet Psychiatry, 11(9), 731–774. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(24)00163-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(24)00163-9
Mensi, M. M., Capone, L., Rogantini, C., Orlandi, M., Ballante, E., & Borgatti, R. (2021). COVID‐19‐related psychiatric impact on Italian adolescent population: A cross‐sectional cohort study. Journal of community psychology, 49(5), 1457–1469. doi: 10.1002/jcop.22563
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22563
Oliva, S., Russo, G., Gili, R., Russo, L., Mauro, A., & Spagnoli, A. (2021). Risks and Protective Factors Associated With Mental Health Symptoms During COVID-19 Home Confinement in Italian Children and Adolescents: The #Understandingkids Study. Frontiers in Pediatrics.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2021.664702
Orgilés, M., Francisco, R., Delvecchio, E., Espada, J. P., Mazzeschi, C., & Pedro, M. (2022). Psychological Symptoms in Italian, Spanish and Portuguese Youth During the COVID-19 Health Crisis: A Longitudinal Study. Child psychiatry and human development, 53(5), 853–862. doi: 10.1007/s10578-021-01211-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-021-01211-9
Orgilés, M., Morales, A., Delvecchio, E., Mazzeschi, C., & Espada, J. P. (2020). Immediate Psychological Effects of the COVID-19 Quarantine in Youth From Italy and Spain. Frontiers in Psychology [Internet]. Available from: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.579038
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/5bpfz
Pelizza, L., & Pupo, S. (2020). COVID-19 epidemic and public mental health care in Italy: Ethical considerations. Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 55(8), 1093–1094. doi: 10.1007/s00127-020-01907-8
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-020-01907-8
Petruzzelli, M. G., Furente, F., Colacicco, G., Annecchini, F., Margari, A., & Gabellone, A. (2022). Implication of COVID-19 Pandemic on Adolescent Mental Health: An Analysis of the Psychiatric Counseling from the Emergency Room of an Italian University Hospital in the Years 2019–2021. Journal of clinical medicine, 11(20), 6177. doi: 10.3390/jcm11206177
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm11206177
Radez, J., Reardon, T., Creswell, C., Lawrence, P. J., Evdoka-Burton, G., & Waite, P. (2021). Why do children and adolescents (not) seek and access professional help for their mental health problems? A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies. European child & adolescent psychiatry, 30(2), 183–211. doi: 10.1007/s00787-019-01469-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-019-01469-4
Ragelienė, T. (2016). Links of Adolescents Identity Development and Relationship with Peers: A Systematic Literature Review. Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry = Journal de l'Academie canadienne de psychiatrie de l'enfant et de l'adolescent, 25(2), 97–105.
Remesan, A. K., Sekaran, V. C., Jothikaran, T. A. J., & Ashok, L. (2023). Substance Use among Emerging Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review through the Lens of Sustainable Development Goals. International journal of environmental research and public health, 20(19), 6834. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20196834
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20196834
Solmi, M., Radua, J., Olivola, M., Croce, E., Soardo, L., Salazar de Pablo, G., Il Shin, J., Kirkbride, J. B., Jones, P., Kim, J. H., Kim, J. Y., Carvalho, A. F., Seeman, M. V., Correll, C. U., & Fusar-Poli, P. (2022). Age at onset of mental disorders worldwide: Large-scale meta-analysis of 192 epidemiological studies. Molecular Psychiatry, 27(1), 281–295. doi: 10.1038/s41380-021-01161-7
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-021-01161-7
Steinberg, L., Dahl, R., Keating, D., Kupfer, D. J., Masten, A. S., & Pine, D. S. (2015). The Study of Developmental Psychopathology in Adolescence: Integrating Affective Neuroscience with the Study of Context. In Developmental Psychopathology [Internet] (pp. 710–741). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9780470939390.ch18
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470939390.ch18
World Health Organization. (2024). Adolescent health. Available from: https://www.who.int/health-topics/adolescent-health
Youthinmind. (n.d.). Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in Italian. Youthinmind. Available from: https://www.sdqinfo.org/py/sdqinfo/b3.py?language=Italian
Zhou, S. J., Zhang, L. G., Wang, L. L., Guo, Z. C., Wang, J. Q., & Chen, J. C. (2020). Prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of psychological health problems in Chinese adolescents during the outbreak of COVID-19. European child & adolescent psychiatry, 29(6), 749–758. doi: 10.1007/s00787-020-01541-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-020-01541-4
How to Cite
Göksal, R., Salcuni, S., Marino, G., Paduanello, M., & De Renoche, G. (2025). District Functional Unit for Adolescents 2022: a pilot project in Italy to detect mental health strengths and difficulties among youth. Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome. https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2025.831
Copyright (c) 2025 the Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
PAGEPress has chosen to apply the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) to all manuscripts to be published.
Similar Articles
- Alexandro Fortunato, Annalisa Tanzilli, Vittorio Lingiardi, Anna Maria Speranza, Psychodiagnostic Chart-Child (PDC-C): a valid and clinically sensitive diagnostic tool for patient-tailored intervention planning , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 25 No. 1 (2022)
- Alessandro Ridolfi, Psychological interventions in the Italian national health system: appropriateness and accountability , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 27 No. 2 (2024)
- Giovanna Esposito, Viviana Perla, Raffaella Passeggia, Erik Fertuck, Erhard Mergenthaler, Reflective functioning and personal recovery process of users with borderline personality disorder on Instagram: an explorative study using computerized and thematic analysis , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 23 No. 3 (2020)
- Marianna Liotti, Alice Fiorini Bincoletto, Fabiola Bizzi, Marta Tironi, Simone Charpentier Mora, Donatella Cavanna, Guido Giovanardi, Elliot Jurist, Anna Maria Speranza, Vittorio Lingiardi, Annalisa Tanzilli, The catcher in the mind: validation of the brief-mentalized affectivity scale for adolescents in the Italian population , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 26 No. 3 (2023)
- Laura Parolin, Alberto Milesi, Giovanni Comelli, Francesca Locati, The interplay of mentalization and epistemic trust: a protective mechanism against emotional dysregulation in adolescent internalizing symptoms , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 26 No. 3 (2023)
- Giorgia Margherita, Benedetta Muzii, Alessia Caffieri, Adriana Di Francia, Brenda Somma, ‘Isolated together’: online group treatments during the COVID-19 pandemic. A systematic review , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 25 No. 3 (2022): SPECIAL ISSUE: "Group psychotherapy: between settled benchmarks and new horizons"
- Bruno Faustino, António Branco Vasco, João Delgado, António Farinha-Fernandes, José Carlos Guerreiro, Exploring the impacts of COVID-19 related social distancing on loneliness, psychological needs and symptomatology , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 23 No. 3 (2020)
- Annalisa Tanzilli, Flavia Fiorentino, Marianna Liotti, Gabriele Lo Buglio, Ivan Gualco, Vittorio Lingiardi, Carla Sharp, Riccardo Williams , Patient personality and therapist responses in the psychotherapy of adolescents with depressive disorders: toward the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual - third edition , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 27 No. 1 (2024)
- Michela Gatta, Marta Sisti, Laura Sudati, Marina Miscioscia, Alessandra Simonelli, The Lausanne Trilogue Play within the outcome evaluation in infant mental health: a preliminary report , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 19 No. 1 (2016): Special issue on Qualitative and Quantitative Research in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy: part 2
- Marco Chiesa, The problem of suicidality, personality disorder, and treatment: an alternative psycho-social perspective , Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome: Vol. 27 No. 3 (2024)
<< < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 > >>
You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.
