The Observatory of emotional and mental disorders
The Observatory of emotional and mental disorders is a periodic update on the situation of psychological suffering in Italy and in the world. What are the most widespread and most serious and growing disorders, which segments of the population are more affected, what are the reasons for their diffusion and how to stem them with what pharmacological, psychotherapeutic and welfare care.
The Observatory will be published in State of Mind from March 2025, will be released monthly and will be composed by consulting the most rigorous and advanced search engines that collect the information published in scientific journals and reliable health bulletins. The head of the composition of the Observatory is Giovanni Maria Ruggiero with the collaboration of Sara Palmieri and Giovanni Mansueto.
Observatory of emotional and mental disorders – May 2025
More and more people around the world experience mental fatigue: a persistent, often invisible tiredness, which goes beyond sleep and affects concentration, mood and well -being. This third number of the Observatory explores the causes, risk groups and the most effective psychological solutions to face what many call the new silent epidemic of our time.
Do you feel more and more tired? The new mental fatigue epidemic
It is not just our impression. In recent years, a widespread feeling of mental tiredness It seems to be united millions of people all over the world. It is not just about physical fatigue or lack of sleep: it is a more subtle, persistent form of fatigue, often accompanied by difficulty concentration, irritability and a feeling of being “saturated” even after small commitments. They call it “mental fatigue“And it is becoming one of the most reported ailments of our time. But how much is this phenomenon really widespread? And where does it affect more? The most recent epidemiological studies confirm that the phenomenon is not only subjective: the mental tiredness It is increasing globally, with numbers that worry clinicals and researchers.
Mental fatigue is growing everywhere
A large international review (Yoon et al., 2023) estimated that the 24.2% of the world population suffers from symptoms of mental effort clinically significant. The data varies by age, gender and social condition, but the trend is clear: it is spreading everywhere in industrialized countries. However, the abundance of Chinese studies seems to suggest that in China The phenomenon is particularly accentuated. However, the phenomenon is also observable in western countries. For example in Swissa country considered attentive to personal well -being, an investigation into middle -aged adults has found that the 21% of the population presents fatigue Persistent (Galland-decker et al., 2019). It also seems more common among the donnethe People with chronic pathologies and those who presented depressive symptoms. According to Knoop et al. (2021), the chronic effort It is not just annoying: it is a predictor of serious resultsas disability, cognitive decline and even mortality, especially in the elderly population.
Risk populations: health personnel and the elderly
There are no major differences between the various countries or at least among the most industrialized ones that can afford this type of investigation. There are two groups that seem to be particularly at risk: health personnel engaged in emergency situations and elderly people. In particular, health workers are the most fatigued. In China, for example, over 75% of health personnel who work in emergency contexts reports a strong mental overload and a high risk of burnout (Xiong et al., 2024). This means that three out of four operators are in difficulty, a much higher proportion than the 24% detected in the general population.
Such a high data raises questions, especially considering that in other countries the percentages are more contained. In Italy, for example, during the Covid-19 emergency, over 30% of health and volunteer operators showed signs of psychological discomfort (Tarchi et al., 2023): a number certainly higher than the general average of 24%, but at the same time away from Chinese levels. It therefore remains to be understood what the load of stress for health workers in China makes it so heavy.
It also affects that among the elderly there is no decrease in the phenomenon: a recent meta-analysis (Hu et al., 2025) confirmed that approximately A quarter of the over 65 presents clinically worrying levels of mental tiredness. An surprising figure if we consider that this age group, theoretically less engaged in work, should be more protected by overload: yet, the mental effort They also hit those who are retired hard.
What does psychology tell us? When the mind shouts “enough”
Behind the mental effort There is not only the body that yields. There is also the mind that launches alarm signs. And psychology has a lot to say:
- Psychosocial overload effort: According to the biopsicosocial model (Galland-decker et al., 2019), fatigue emerges from the intertwining between physical vulnerabilities, emotional states such as anxiety and depression, and a stressful context of life. It is the sum that weighs, not a single event.
- Perception of one’s ineffectiveness: in the elderly, the sense of fatigue It often links to the idea of ​​”no longer able” (hu et al., 2025). It is the body that slows down, but it is the mind that judges.
- Silent burnout: In the healthcare world (Xiong et al., 2024), the tight rhythm, the lack of recognition and the little recovery create an invisible escalation towards mental collapse.
- The thought that self -birds: In those suffering from long covid or lives traumatic situations (Tarchi et al., 2023; van der feltz-cornelis et al., 2024), a vicious circle is observed: hyper-curve thoughts, insomnia, avoidance and rigid beliefs (“I will never heal”) that maintain fatigue.
- A ignored light: the fatigue It is often the way our mind-body system tells us that a break is needed. But if we ignore the message, it is chronic (Knoop et al., 2021).
Interventions and treatments: what really works against mental effort?
The good news is that psychology does not just observe. It offers solutions, some simple, others more structured, but all with a goal: to return breath to mind.
- Create more human environments: one of the strongest protective factors is the organizational climate. Where there is listening, empathy and responsible leadership, the burnout drops drastically (Xiong et al., 2024). Training, true pauses and psychological debriefing are not a luxury, but a necessity.
- Screening and early prevention: validated psychometric tools can help intercept the discomfort before it becomes a pathology (Tarchi et al., 2023). Regulating the mental load regularly in high intensity contexts should become the norm.
- Train the mind to recognize the limits: psychoeducation and training on the self -management of energy are effective in reducing the perception of fatigue (Galland-decker et al., 2019). Often, it is the internal pressure that tires us more than the activities themselves.
- Move with intelligence: light and adapted physical activity, as suggested by Hu et al. (2025), improves mood, sleep quality and threshold of fatigue. The body also needs rhythm, but what we impose we do not always.
- Psychotherapy: legitimize fatigue, do not deny it: For those who experience Brain Fog and effort, integrated approaches are needed: cognitive-comporting psychotherapy, relaxation techniques, rhythm management (pacing) and, where necessary, pharmacological support (van der feltz-cornelis et al., 2024). In short, accepting to be tired does not mean surrendering, but taking yourself seriously. It is not weakness, it is awareness. And from there it can start a new balance.
