RIPARTO: the effects of over-indebtedness on psychosomatic balance and relational dynamics in Italian adults

Aims and objectives: RIPARTO is a psychological, social and financial inclusion project, aimed at concretely addressing the problem of over-debt, with a significant focus on the psychological dynamics that govern this condition of hardship in Italy. The project was funded, and it was approved by the local scientific committee, supervised by the Italian Ministry of Labor and Social Policies in collaboration with ACLI, an Italian workers' association and other interested partners (e.g., Italian banks and universities). The RIPARTO project was born with the intention of making a significant contribution to the "fight against all forms of poverty in the world" (Goal 1 of the 2030 UN Agenda). Method. Data collection started on May 2022 and finished in October 2022. Data were collected in presence through a questionnaire administered by the counter operators (operators of the offices where people with debt problems go) directly to the person who used the service. Sample consist of 603 participants (242 females, 346 males and 1 prefer not to say), the age is comprised from 56 to <71 y.o. For the psychological dimensions was used the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), that is a self-report measure of psychological distress (Cronbach’ a= 0.91). Results and conclusions: Results show that the condition of over-indebtedness correlates positively with the size of the GHQ-12: as the debt increases, the problems of the subjects related to sleep, concentration, productivity, the ability to make decisions and feelings of depression and despondency increase personal. However, these problems decrease if the subject has a family and/or social network that supports him/her and with which he/she shares this problem.