The psychologist bonus is back: 10 million only enough for 16,000 Italians

There is a move towards refinancing the psychologist bonus, the contribution for psychotherapy expenses introduced as of 2022 and which was confirmed and made structural in the last Budget Law, but for which funding must still be found. On the track there would be - according to initial rumours - no more than EUR 10 million. Sufficient funds for about 16,000 beneficiaries when last year alone as many as 400,000 Italians applied for the bonus.

The bonus, later made structural by the last budget manoeuvre, was first introduced by the Decree Milleproroghe 2022: it is a contribution to support the expenses for psychotherapy sessions aimed at providing psychological assistance to citizens who have seen an increase in depression, anxiety, stress and psychological fragility after Covid. The expenses that can 'count' on the contribution are those for psychotherapy sessions, available at private specialists regularly registered in the list of psychotherapists within the psychologists' register. The benefit, starting from the year 2023, is granted only once for each year to individuals who, at the time of submitting the application, meet two requirements: residence in Italy; current, ordinary or current Isee value not exceeding €50,000. The support may have a value not exceeding 1,500 euro per person and is modulated according to the applicant's Isee.

According to reports from majority sources, the government is working to confirm this year's allocation of 10 million. It is an allocation that risks leaving out many possible applicants. In particular, the illustrative report of the decree regulating the bonus, which envisages that the Inps will accept applications up to the limit of the available resources, giving "priority" to people with the lowest Isee, estimated that with a dowry of 10 million, a potential audience of 16 thousand beneficiaries could be reached. These numbers are really small compared to the potential demand, given that for the last round of the bonus, which expired on 31 May, over 400,000 requests were received.

"The commitment to refinance the psychologist bonus is good, but there remains a dramatic lack of resources' on this front, given that 'when it was introduced, the allocation was 25 million, then it was reduced to 5 and 8 and, only thanks to the opposition, raised to 10, which is still a drop in the ocean given that there were 400,000 requests and a very small percentage was covered. We will fight to replenish it, to make it more substantial'. This is the position of the PD Filippo Sensi, one of the 'fathers' of the psychologist bonus after the news of its possible refinancing. 'On the subject of mental health,' he adds, 'there is so much more sensitivity in society but then when we go to tighten the funds, as well as on health in general, they remain the Cinderella for this government. 'In the meantime,' he concludes, 'the bipartisan proposal for the basic psychologist has run aground in the House committee, precisely because of the question of resources.