Since the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), home working has significantly increased worldwide. A recent PLoS Medicine study investigated whether home working affected an individual’s social and mental well-being. This assessment is extremely important to understand how individuals will be affected if higher levels of home working are practiced in the future.
A recent study conducted by the University of Salford in the United Kingdom found little evidence of a negative impact on mental health from increased home working during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study surveyed over 1,000 workers in the UK who had shifted to home working during the pandemic.
The study found that 68% of participants reported no change in their mental health since beginning home working, while 17% reported an improvement in their mental health. Only 15% of participants reported a decline in their mental health.
These findings contradict previous concerns that increased home working during the pandemic could lead to negative mental health outcomes, such as increased feelings of isolation and burnout. However, the study’s authors note that the findings should be interpreted with caution as the participants were surveyed during a time when many pandemic-related restrictions were still in place.
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