Near the beginning of the semester I found myself needing to go to the doctor; I found myself nervous and uncertain whether or not it would be a complicated process, if the language barrier would be an issue or what the price would be like. But there was no other choice so I made an appointment. Back in the US there are a lot of factors going into making a doctor’s appointment- you need to know your insurance plan, your PCP, your deductible and oftentimes people just give up with going to the doctor because of the complication of the process. My experience here was highly simple, I was able to get an appointment day of, walk into the clinic without a wait and leave with a prescription that I filled the same day one of the “farmacia’s” across the street from the office. With this simplicity, the entire visit was entirely refunded- essentially free.
The ease and accessibility of the Italian healthcare system made me realize how normalized inconvenience and high costs have become in the US. Healthcare is at the baseline of the Italian culture- it is a basic service rather than a privilege.
Another aspect of the healthcare system that stood out to me was the approach on mental health in Italy. In the US, medications such as SSRIs or stimulants are relatively common and often one of the first solutions offered. After talking with a Florentine resident who’s daughter is diagnosed with ADHD, I learned that prescribing these kinds of medications- especially common stimulants like Adderall- is much less common and, in some cases, not permitted. Instead there is a much stronger emphasis on therapy-based approaches like CBT and DBT, along with integral structural support in schools and daily life to support these individuals.
What struck me most was the underlying philosophy behind this approach, rather than forcing individuals to conform to the majority of their population and age group, there is more of an effort to adapt environments to meet people where they are. Italy views individual differences as realities that can be supported rather than problems that need to be fixed.
The contrast in the culture and beliefs around healthcare in Italy to the US made me think more critically how culture shapes our understanding of health and success. The US is a more achievement driven society often with expectations to perform to a certain level in all aspects of life. Italy, from what I have learned and observed, celebrates variations in how people learn, behave and take care of themselves.
Of course no system is perfect, but these experiences have challenged my assumptions about what healthcare should look like and have made me realize that healthcare doesn’t have to just be about treating illness, it can reflect deeper cultural values about accessibility and what it means to live well.