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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted healthcare workers (HWs) around the world. Italy was the first Western country hit by the pandemic, and several studies have been published targeting the mental health burden held by Italian HWs. Notwithstanding, only a few studies focused on the impact of COVID-19 on HWs' levels of functioning. Methods: An online survey was distributed to HWs in Italy through physicians' and nurses' associations, social networks, and researchers' direct contacts, between 4 April and 13 May 2020. Participants provided sociodemographic, work-related, and pandemic-related data and filled out a set of psychometric questionnaires (Patient Health Questionnaire-9—PHQ-9, General Anxiety Disorder-7—GAD-7, Impact of Event Scale—Revised—IES-R, and Work and Social Adjustment Scale—WSAS). Results: The final sample included 1041 HWs (mean age 45.01 ± 11.62, 63.9% females). In total, 58.1% of the subjects screened positive on the GAD-7, 27.5% on the PHQ-9, and 25.9% on the IES-R. Furthermore, 67.4% showed a significant level of impairment in functioning according to the WSAS, while 35.8% reached scores of moderate or worse impairment. In the multiple linear regressions, screening positive on any of the psychometric scales and being exposed to unusual suffering significantly predicted worse scores in all WSAS domains (p < 0.05). Having a history of mental disorders significantly predicted worse scores in the WSAS domain of work ability (p = 0.002), while being the parent of children younger than 18 years significantly predicted worse WSAS family functioning scores (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our results corroborate extant data about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HWs' mental health and shed light on its detrimental effect on functioning. Tailored interventions should be designed in order to support HWs during times of crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately 50% of patients with psychiatric disorders do not fully adhere to the prescribed psychopharmacological therapy, significantly impacting the progression of the disorder and the patient's quality of life. The present study aimed to assess potential differences in terms of rates and clinical features of treatment adherence in a large cohort of psychiatric patients with different diagnoses attending various psychiatric services. The study included 307 psychiatric patients diagnosed with a primary major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenic spectrum disorder, or personality disorder. Patient's adherence to treatment was evaluated using the Clinician Rating Scale, with a cutoff of at least five defining adherence subgroups. One-third of the sample reported poor medication adherence. A lower rate of adherence emerged among patients with schizophrenic spectrum disorder and bipolar disorder. Subjects with poor adherence were more frequently inpatients and showed higher current substance use, a greater number of previous hospitalizations, and more severe scores at psychopathological assessment compared with patients with positive adherence. Poor adherence was associated with symptom severity and increased rates of relapses and rehospitalizations. In addition, substance use appears to be an unfavorable transdiagnostic factor for treatment adherence., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)