How Protective Masks May Be Improving Mood

Source: Image by Monika Schröder from Pixabay

Hit by the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, we were already complaining about “mask fatigue” by June.[i] True, masks that are too thick or too tight can interfere with breathing, causing both discomfort and anxiety, and heavy-duty masks like N95s can be downright painful. Not to mention the practical difficulties, such as navigating your way through crowded store aisles with fogged eyeglasses if you don’t wear your mask low enough on your nose, and the laborious practice of sanitizing them. But despite the downsides of complying with mask mandates, research indicates that masks might actually improve our mood.

Mood Masking

Some researchers aptly note that, in many cases, masks mask emotion.[ii] And because most of us are currently required to wear face coverings in public anyway, wouldn’t it be great to have a mood mask, like the trendy mood rings in the 1970s, which presumably changed colors to reflect the way you were feeling? We would know who to approach or avoid in various public settings. Well, according to research, we might not need color-coated indications of masked emotions, because mask-wearing itself can improve mood.

Dorota Szczesniak et al. (2020) reported face mask-wearing data per survey results in a piece entitled “Psychopathological Responses and Face Mask Restrictions during the COVID-19 Outbreak.”[iii] They examined the link between face mask restrictions in Poland and associated psychopathological manifestation, and, consistent with other research, found a decrease in psychopathological symptoms following the obligation to wear face coverings in public.

They note that one factor that might reduce the likelihood of psychiatric symptoms was wearing face masks at work, recognizing that such protective behavior might reinforce a sense of personal control, mitigate a sense of helplessness, and moderate anxiety—thus enhancing a coping response. They also recognize mask-wearing as a “symbol of social cohesion in the global response to the pandemic,” that shifts the focus from oneself to others, enhancing a sense of collective responsibility. Accordingly, they acknowledge that mask-wearing may enhance a sense of well-being and decrease negative emotion.

Although Szczesniak et al. note that mask-wearing might create a false sense of security, which could decrease the practice of other precautionary measures such as hand washing and social distancing, it also reduced the psychological response to stress. They concluded that their findings suggest that face mask regulations not only protect wearers from contracting COVID-19, but also enhance a sense of self-protection and perceived social solidarity, enhancing both mental health and wellness.

Masks as Status and Fashion

Another potential mood-enhancing aspect of face-covering is the reality that mandatory masking affords the opportunity to be both compliant and creative. Considering the plethora of imaginative face coverings designed to complement a wide variety of wardrobe options, the mask has evolved, for some, as a fashionable accessory and status symbol.

Yihui Goh et al., declaring 2020 “The Year of the Mask,” examined how the face mask has become psychologically symbolic.[iv] Among other findings, they note that despite initial resentment, once masks became advisable and in some cases mandatory, the younger generation in particular became creatively compliant, adding fashion to face protection. Although they recognize that designer masks do not control infection but rather provide a “psychological pseudo-confidence” for the user, they also apparently have the potential to become status symbols.

So until we experience a post-pandemic “great unmasking,” focusing on the positive aspects of mask-wearing might cover some of the resentment we feel, as we remain optimistic about the news that they are no longer needed.