Long-term psychological implication of the COVID-19 pandemic: a network analysis among the Italian population

The enduring psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is a subject of growing concern. Despite existing research highlighting immediate challenges, there is a lack of comprehensive studies elucidating specific pathways through which psychological variables contribute to the pandemic’s long-lasting implications. Through a network analysis approach, we aimed to investigate the mutual relationships and associations between eating disorder symptoms, guilt- and shame-proneness, psychopathological symptoms, self-esteem, defence mechanisms, and mentalization and understand how they might interact two years after the pandemic's outbreak. From March to August 2022, 651 Italian young adults (females = 593, 91.1%) aged between 18 and 38 (Mage = 23.84, SD = 3.74) were recruited online and completed a digital booklet of self-report questionnaires. A weighted, undirected graphical LASSO network was performed to investigate the structure of the nodes. A stable and accurate network structure showed that the most interconnected nodes were psychoticism, interpersonal sensitivity, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, depression, anxiety, paranoid ideation, and immature defences, suggesting their central role in the network functioning. Findings emphasized the enduring psychological impact of the pandemic, elucidating the complex interplay and dynamic impact of key psychopathological symptoms and defence mechanisms. The network tested also provides valuable insights for developing targeted interventions and effective strategies to address post-pandemic mental health challenges.