In France, since March 14, wearing a mask is no longer compulsory indoors, with the exception of public transport, hospitals and retirement homes. A pleasing measure for some, but much more agonizing for others. Interviewed by the Spanish daily The newspaper, Georgina del Valle, psychologist at the Dexeus University Hospital in Barcelona, returned to this phenomenon, nicknamed “empty face syndrome”.
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“Blank face syndrome”: who is affected?
“Blank face syndrome refers to the set of anxiety symptoms, which can manifest following the removal of the anti-covid-19 maskand even at the mere idea that one is authorized to remove it“, explains the specialist.
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According to her, it would particularly affect adolescents and that some people in the grip of:
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- anxiety disorders (specific phobias, social phobia, agoraphobia, generalized anxiety, panic attacks, etc.),
- to hypochondria
- or excessive shyness coupled with physical complexes.
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The fear of being contaminated and of revealing one’s face
Surgical, FFP2, home-sewn… Masks obscured the lower part of our face for almost two years. It is therefore normal that their disappearance, or the prospect of their lifting in the last places concerned by the obligation to wear a mask, worries.
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Georgina del Valle, identifies two main explanations for this phenomenon:
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- The first is medical: some people are simply afraid of contracting Covid-19 removing the mask.
- The second would be psychological: some people now have afraid to expose their face due to skin problems, for example. The mask has indeed become an accessory to protect yourself from the gaze of others.
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It is in adolescence that the most importance is attached to physical appearance, with the appearance of complexes, and that is why after such a long time it is difficult to remove the mask, says the psychologist.
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What solutions to successfully drop the mask?
The empty face syndrome is not a fatality. Fortunately, there are solutions to help people who are reluctant to take the plunge. For Georgina del Valle, “we must approach this phenomenon as a phobia,because the feelings are the same: fear and insecurity”.
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The first solution therefore consists in gradually exposing oneself to the feared situation. She advises those concerned to continue to wear the mask if they feel the need and to remove it gradually, starting by doing so in less anxiety-provoking situations, such as when you are outdoors.
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Note: this syndrome is not referenced in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). It is not a recognized disorderbut only of an expression proposed to describe this phenomenon of society.
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