In Italy, mental health has always been treated as a niche topic, confined to the margins of discussions about public healthcare and often trapped in taboos and stigma. For years, “going to the psychologist” was perceived as a luxury for the few or as a mark of weakness to be hidden. Yet, something has changed in recent years. The Covid-19 pandemic uncovered widespread vulnerabilities, leading millions of people to experience anxiety, stress, loneliness, and depression. In a short time, the demand for psychological support exploded, transforming what was once a marginal issue into a national priority. Within this framework, the psychological bonus, first introduced in 2022 and renewed several times until the current 2025 edition, has become a symbol. Not so much for its actual ability to solve the problem (available funds remain severely limited), but for the cultural message it conveys: the State recognizes mental health as a dimension of public health, worthy of support and investment.
The numbers behind the imbalance
The psychological bonus 2025 provides a contribution of up to €50 per session, with annual caps varying based on ISEE (Equivalent Economic Situation Indicator): the lower the income, the higher the number of sessions that can be funded. In theory, a fair measure. In practice, the numbers show a disproportion that borders on the absurd: with about 6,300 funded spots, the estimated applications exceeded 400,000. Translated into probability: only 1.6% of applicants will actually obtain the contribution. It’s as if, in an audience of one hundred people, only one or two walked away with the winning ticket. Unsurprisingly, many have compared the psychological bonus to a game of chance, a healthcare lottery that risks generating more frustration than relief. The paradox is that the measure, designed to break down barriers to psychological therapy, ends up amplifying them: those left out not only fail to receive financial support but also experience the disappointment of a recognized need left unmet.
Growing demand and cultural change
Historically in Italy, psychotherapy was a practice chosen by the few: in 2019 only a minority reported having visited a psychologist at least once. After the pandemic, the numbers changed radically: a study conducted for ENPAP showed an increase from 29% to 39% of the population engaging in psychological treatment between 2020 and 2024. In other words, nearly 4 out of 10 Italians today have had contact with a mental health professional. This figure illustrates a paradigm shift: no longer an elitist phenomenon but a widespread practice that touches young people and adults, men and women, workers and students. The psychological bonus itself has helped break a taboo. Knowing that a public contribution exists, that one is not alone in bearing the economic weight of therapy sessions, has made asking for help more legitimate. In recent surveys, over half of respondents said they would be more likely to see a psychologist if stable economic support were available. The contribution, in other words, not only responds to an existing need but also generates new demand, activating those who would otherwise have given up. Furthermore, the progressive mindset of younger generations has made psychotherapy and attention to mental health an essential priority for a happy life.
The economic knot, a luxury disguised as a primary need
Psychological therapy in Italy has an average cost ranging from €50 to €70 per session: amounts which, multiplied by the continuity of treatment, become unsustainable for many families. Even when the psychological bonus is obtained, it often covers only a limited number of sessions (between 8 and 12). Once the contribution is exhausted, the risk is that the patient is forced to interrupt the treatment, with psychological and ethical consequences not to be overlooked: suspending therapy halfway means leaving open wounds that require time and continuity to heal. Critics of the current system point out that this creates a “temporary psychology,” where only those who can afford it continue, while others are left behind. A short circuit that ends up exacerbating social inequalities: those with fewer economic resources are often also those living under greater vulnerability and stress, and who would need psychological support the most.
A missed opportunity (for now)
Despite its shortcomings, the psychological bonus has had one undeniable merit: it brought mental health into Italy’s political and media agenda. If until a few years ago the psychologist was associated with clichés like “only the rich go” or “it’s for crazy people,” today’s record demand has demonstrated that mental health is a common good, deeply felt and claimed. The risk, however, is that the State stops at this symbolic measure without taking the next step: structural investments. The National Health Service, already under pressure, offers psychology services that are often insufficient: endless waiting lists, limited availability of professionals, uneven territorial coverage. For many, the only option remains private care, with the costs we know. Italy, in short, faces a choice: continue to consider psychotherapy a privilege accessible to the few, or recognize it as a right, as already happens with other essential healthcare services. Society is ready to take this cultural leap.
