Changes in facial expression recognition and well-being over time

Facial occlusion effects on emotion recognition are well-documented; however, improvements in recognition over time and relations with mental health changes remain unclear. This longitudinal study examined changes in recognition of occluded emotional faces and mental health features in a Canadian cohort (N = 128). After 3–4 months, participants showed greater accuracy in recognising most expressions and faster reaction time (RT) for fearful but slower RT for surprised faces. More daily “masked interactions” were related to slower RT for happy and sad faces but higher accuracy, suggesting a speed-accuracy trade-off. Increased depression symptoms were associated with greater accuracy for masked happy faces, while increased anxiety was associated with greater accuracy for happy and neutral faces. This study emphasises complex relations between masked emotion recognition and mental well-being, which can inform strategies for coping with social interaction restrictions.