Wearing face masks consistently may actually boost your mental health and well-being

The COVID-19 pandemic compelled people to wear face masks or coverings to reduce the risk of transmitting coronavirus or getting infected with the deadly virus. Research has shown that face masks can block contaminated respiratory droplets released when COVID-19 positive individuals sneeze, cough, talk, or breathe, thus prevent them from spreading to others. Face masks, if correctly worn, can also reduce your risk of infection by reducing exposure to the virus, say some researchers.

By now, most of you might have developed the habit of wearing a face mask whenever you step out of the house. Whether there is a pandemic or not, continue wearing a face mask. A study by researchers at the University of Edinburgh, UK, has found an association between consistent mask-wearing and positive well-being.

The study, published on the pre-print medRxiv server, found that people who wore masks consistently had better mental health than those who did not.

To arrive at the study findings, the researchers surveyed 11,000 participants across the UK between April and June 2020. They found that adherence to face-covering guidelines had no association with poorer mental health. In fact, people who wore masks consistently had better mental health than those who did not, they said.

Here are the other key points from the study results:

The odds of feeling anxious were 58% lower among those who always wore their masks.
The likelihood of experiencing depressive symptoms was 25% lower among people who wore their masks most of the time.
Also, the odds of feeling lonely were 67% lower among those who always wore their masks.

Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that stronger adherence to guidelines is associated with less anxiety and loneliness, and higher life satisfaction and well-being.

The study also provides strong evidence that following government guidance on face coverings is associated with better rather than poorer mental health and well-being, the team concluded.

They also emphasized that wearing face masks alone is insufficient in preventing Covid-19 infection. In addition to wearing mask, people should also adhere to other infection control measures such as washing the hands regularly, maintaining social distance, and avoiding crowded places, they noted.

Source: | This article originally belongs to thehealthsite.com

Wearing face masks consistently may actually boost your mental health and well-being

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Wearing face masks consistently may actually boost your mental health and well-being

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