Introduction and objectives: The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus ۲ (SARS-CoV-۲) occurred in Wuhan, China, and rapidly extended globally. The
COVID-۱۹ pandemic has brought about numerous lifestyle adaptations, one of them being the required use of face masks in public locations and healthcare workers are commanded to wear
personal protective equipment (PPE) for a long duration when caring for
COVID-۱۹ patients. Given the importance of masks, there are different types for individuals to use, such as cloth and N۹۵ and The N۹۵
face mask was the most used appliance by ۹۳%.The use of these masks causes complications for healthcare workers. In this article, we will examine the various psychological and neurological adverse events of prolonged mask use and provide suggestions to mitigate the burden.Method: We found articles related to this topic by searching Google Scholar, NCBI and Scopus databases and we used for data collection as follows Case reports, case series, case-control, reviews, editorials and cohort articles were assessed from ۲۰۱۹ to ۲۰۲۳, and related information was abstracted.Result: A study showed ۶۰.۱% of participants suffered from neurological problems and ۷۱.۴% reported adverse effects from prolonged mask use, with
headaches being the most common complaint. Additionally, after using the N۹۵ mask headaches, dizziness, mood irritation, panic attack, attention impairment and problem in concentrating were elevated. Also, respiratory alkalosis and hypocarbia were discovered after the use of N۹۵. Acute respiratory alkalosis could cause headaches, anxiety, tremor, muscle cramps, and other adverse effects. Psychiatric symptoms like helplessness and moderate anxiety significantly reduces due to wearing face masks in the workplace. Indeed, current evidence indicates that face masks may defend against
COVID-۱۹ and enhance self-protection quality along with social solidarity and as a result enhancing psychological well-being.Conclusion: Healthcare workers were exposed to multiple occupational hazards following the use of masks or PPE. Although masking improves the psychological condition of the employees to some extent, but it causes an increase in the mentioned complications. Hence, a cautious policy on masking recommendations is required to reduce such adverse events. Studies exploring long-term neuropsychiatric effect of masking are warranted.