Brain fog and affecting factors in health care workers

Brain fog was first described in the 1850s as a form of mental fatigue, particularly observed among individuals engaged in occupations requiring intensive cognitive effort. The present study aims to examine the occurrence of brain fog among healthcare professionals—who are required to perform multiple tasks simultaneously and make critical decisions—and to identify contributing factors through a review of the current literature. Accordingly, a traditional literature review was conducted by retrieving articles published between 2019 and 2025 from the PubMed database using the keywords “brain fog”, “cognitive impairment” and “mental fatigue”. Brain fog is characterized by forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, impaired multitasking ability, and diminished cognitive functioning. Healthcare professionals constitute one of the occupational groups most frequently exposed to brain fog. Physicians, nurses, and other healthcare personnel are subjected to various stressors and adverse working conditions that may precipitate brain fog, including time pressure, uncertainty in patient treatment and care processes, extended working hours and insufficient nutrition. Given that healthcare professionals are responsible for improving and maintaining individual health and quality of life, the experience of brain fog within this group poses risks to patient safety due to the cognitive symptoms it entails. Examining brain fog and its associated factors among healthcare professionals is essential for implementing preventive strategies, enhancing the quality of patient care, minimizing errors during clinical practice, and improving job satisfaction and quality of life among healthcare personnel. Furthermore, investigations may provide a foundation for developing evidence-based strategies to mitigate brain fog in healthcare settings.