Longitudinal association between psychological distress and mask-wearing post COVID-19 among psychiatric outpatients in Japan.

ABSTRACT: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted psychological distress globally and led to widespread behavioral changes, including mask-wearing. Research shows that mask-wearing behavior may have psychological consequences. Infection control behaviors and psychological distress are expected to decrease as the pandemic subsides. However, the effect of these changes on patients with mental illnesses remains unclear. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of relaxed mask-wearing guidelines on psychological distress among psychiatric outpatients in Japan and its association with changes in mask-wearing behavior. It included 109 outpatients from a general hospital's psychiatric department. Psychological distress was assessed using the General Health Questionnaire-12 at two time points: be

SUBMITTER: Suzuki K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12334027 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature