And the 31 May 2024 is the deadline to send the application to request the psychologist bonus.
Requirements and how to apply
People suffering from depression, anxiety, stress and psychological fragility, who are in a position to benefit from a psychotherapeutic process, can access the service.
Starting from 2023, the benefit is recognized only once for each year to individuals in possession of:
residence in Italy;
Valid ISEE value not exceeding 50,000 euros.
The application can be submitted via the online service or Contact Center. INPS takes care of the reception and management of applications for the benefit, the drafting of the rankings, broken down by Region and Autonomous Province of residence of the beneficiaries, and the subsequent obligations.
The investigation
An initial assessment highlights how psychological well-being is central above all to the care of patients and their caregivers. According to the data collected from the survey carried out by Helaglobe – the organization that has been dealing with patient needs and involvement for over 10 years – with 37 associations, “over 60% of patients have benefited or are benefiting from psychological and health support. ‘For 86% of patients and caregivers, psychological support provided by a pathology expert is essential.’ The research involved 1,500 people who have been living with the pathology for an average of 6 years, but also collected testimonies from people with newly identified chronic pathology and others who have been diagnosed for over 30 years. The highest number of responses came from Lombardy and Veneto. Marche and Basilicata are in line.
“The pathology groups most represented in the research are those of musculoskeletal and connective tissue pathologies (62.9% of respondents) and genitourinary disorders (20.6% of respondents). Other pathology groups represented are endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases, neoplasms, pathologies that can influence the state of well-being, circulatory disorders and neuropathies – we read in the survey – Out of 10 people, 6 declared they were aware of the psychologist bonus (60%), but just under 3 out of 10 ( almost 27%) know the figure of the basic psychologist and even fewer (just over 7%) are aware of whether or not the figure of the basic psychologist is activated in their region”.
“Over 60% of the respondents have used or are taking advantage of psychological support. Although 15% of them did not find any benefit (either because the program had no effect or because it was still in its infancy), it should be noted that, in overall, the benefits found exceed expectations – the analysis continues – 29% found it easier to communicate with their doctor (while only 20% expected such a benefit. Around 23% found better interpersonal relationships (while expectations were almost 16%). 37% managed to have greater awareness and acceptance of their pathology (expectations were 17%)”.
“Approximately 47% of respondents found less anxiety, stress, depression (expectations were almost 27%). Only in the better management of therapy and visits, the benefits were found by a lower percentage of respondents compared to those who expected this benefit (14% versus 20%) – reports the research – This last data is confirmed by the fact that for 86% of respondents it is of fundamental importance that the professional who provides psychological support is also expert in the pathology. Only 2% of respondents consider this professional experience to be irrelevant.
Furthermore, the role of those who suggest the psychotherapy process also proved to be important in the investigation. Approximately 6 out of 10 interviewees were advised to seek psychological support during the therapeutic process (almost 58%). The suggestion, in over half of the cases, comes from the specialist (almost 54%). Other important figures are the general practitioner (11%), family members (10%) and friends (around 7%). Around 7 out of 100 people look for information on the internet (7%) and almost 8 out of 100 decide to ask for psychological support independently (just under 8%). Only 3 people out of 100 found a suggestion of psychological support among the association channels.
Numbers that confirm the importance of the collaboration between the Italian Alzheimer’s Disease Association (Aima Florence) and Tè-Co (www.teco-spaziosicuro.it), Helaglobe’s specialized online psychological support service, thanks to a team of expert therapists , in chronic diseases, dementia and Alzheimer’s. “We have been working for people with Alzheimer’s and for their family members and caregivers for 30 years – states Manlio Matera, president of Aima Firenze – and for us that of hospitality is a fundamental value. Often it is not easy for people to reconcile the times of life with the services that the association can make available. This is why having a remote psychological support service is very important for us, as long as those who conduct the meetings are adequately trained on this pathology and all the experts who collaborate on the project Helaglobe’s Tè-Co have this type of training and this ability.”
The first session on Tè-Co is free to allow the patient or caregiver to get to know the psychotherapist and understand if it is the right path. These are time-limited therapies. In the first meeting, all the information on the therapeutic path is provided and there is no obligation to continue. The duration of each session is 50 minutes. Meetings following the first cost 45 euros and are fully deductible. The sessions take place comfortably from home by connecting online, even from a smartphone, and do not require the installation of particular applications. But on Tè-Co there are not only expert Alzheimer’s therapists. Even for those who suffer from problems related to other diseases such as diabetes, endometriosis, fibromyalgia and obesity, there are trained specialists and psychotherapists with whom you can have a first session and evaluate a therapy, because Tè-Co is able to activate the necessary support depending on the pathology from which the patient suffers and which the caregiver must manage.
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