scholarly journals Telework in a pandemic context: protocol of a participatory study on the effects of teleworking conditions on the well-being and social participation of workers

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. e051099
Author(s):  
Alexandra Lecours ◽  
Marie-Hélène Gilbert ◽  
Marie-Michèle Lord ◽  
Charlotte Labrecque ◽  
Frédéric Boucher

IntroductionAlthough several authors have been interested in the well-being and social participation of teleworkers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, it appears that most of the recommendations issued are based on literature reviews or expert opinions; yet few authors have documented the perspectives of the workers. The aim of this study is to explore workers’ perspectives of teleworking in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic regarding the effects on their well-being and social participation.Methods and AnalysisUsing a participatory study protocol involving the collaboration of a community organisation defending workers’ rights, the first step will be to conduct focus groups to qualitatively describe workers’ perspectives of their teleworking conditions. Then, an online questionnaire will be administered to a large pool or workers to quantitatively explore the influence of individual, organisational and environmental variables on the well-being and social participation of workers. The thematic and statistical analyses of the data collected will indicate successful practices to be adopted by workers and organisations. These successful practices will be validated by workers through a Technique for Research of Information by Animation of a Group of Experts group and will serve as concrete tools to better support workers’ participation in teleworking.Ethics and disseminationThe approval of the research ethics board of the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de la Capitale Nationale has been obtained. Findings will be shared with various stakeholders including workers, employers, insurers and unions. Findings will be disseminated in webinars, peer-reviewed journals and lectures.

Author(s):  
Ben Y. F. Fong ◽  
Martin C. S. Wong ◽  
Vincent T. S. Law ◽  
Man Fung Lo ◽  
Tommy K. C. Ng ◽  
...  

In Hong Kong, social distancing has been adopted in order to minimise the spread of COVID-19. This study aims to examine the changes in physical health, mental health, and social well-being experienced by local residents who were homebound during the pandemic. An online questionnaire in both Chinese and English versions was completed by 590 eligible participants from 24 April to 13 May 2020. The questionnaire found that individuals aged 18 to 25 years spent more time resting and relaxing but experienced more physical strain. Working status was associated with social contact, with participants working full-time jobs scoring higher in “maintaining social communication via electronic means” and “avoiding social activities outside the home”. Additionally, approximately one third of the participants (29.7%) had moderate to severe depression, and participants aged 18 to 25 were found to have higher scores in PHQ-9. Changes in physical health and social contact were significantly associated with developing depressive symptoms. From the results, it is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to exert a negative impact on the mental health status of individuals.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 4850
Author(s):  
Emanuela Mari ◽  
Giulia Lausi ◽  
Angelo Fraschetti ◽  
Alessandra Pizzo ◽  
Michela Baldi ◽  
...  

Background: As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, since March 2020, the Italian population was forced into lockdown to prevent the spread of the virus. The restrictive measures imposed forced many organizations and workers to work through online platforms and no longer in-person. Smart working, enjoyed by some workers for its flexibility, affected several professional categories. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there are differences in the psychological variables related to four groups of professional categories (practitioners, managers, executive employees, teachers), particularly the teachers group. Methods: A total sample of 628 individuals was recruited through a random probability sample across Italy. Due to the lockdown, an online questionnaire was developed; several validated scales were chosen, and some ad hoc constructed items related to the smart working experience were included. Results: The results showed statistically significant differences between the four groups of examined smart workers. Conclusions: All workers have had to readjust to this new way of working, but our results show that teachers were the most affected, both in the perception of their psychological well-being and in the management of the smart working mode.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2308
Author(s):  
Pascale Heins ◽  
Lizzy M. M. Boots ◽  
Wei Qi Koh ◽  
An Neven ◽  
Frans R. J. Verhey ◽  
...  

Social isolation in community-dwelling older adults with dementia is a growing health issue that can negatively affect health and well-being. To date, little attention has been paid to the role of technology in improving their social participation. This systematic review aims to provide a systematic overview of the effects of technological interventions that target social participation in community-dwelling older adults with and without dementia. The scientific databases Medline (PubMed), PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched and independently screened by two reviewers. Results were synthesized narratively. The methodological quality of included studies was independently assessed by two reviewers. In total, 36 studies of varying methodological quality were identified. Most studies evaluated social networking technology and ICT training programs. Three studies focused on people with dementia. Quantitative findings showed limited effects on loneliness, social isolation, and social support. Nevertheless, several benefits related to social participation were reported qualitatively. Social interaction, face-to-face contact, and intergenerational engagement were suggested to be successful elements of technological interventions in improving the social participation of community-dwelling older adults. Rigorous studies with larger sample sizes are highly needed to evaluate the long-term effects of technology on the multidimensional concept of social participation.


2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 423-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafaela Milanesi ◽  
Rita Catalina Aquino Caregnato

ABSTRACT There is a growing request for measuring intra-abdominal pressure in critically ill patients with acute abdominal pain to be clarified. Summarizing the research results on measurement of vesical intra-abdominal pressure and analyzing the level of evidence were the purposes of this integrative literature review, carried out based on the databases LILACS, MEDLINE and PubMed, from 2005 to July 2012. Twenty articles were identified, in that, 12 literature reviews, 4 descriptive and exploratory studies, 2 expert opinions, one prospective cohort study and one was an experience report. The vesical intra-abdominal pressure measurement was considered gold standard. There are variations in the technique however, but some common points were identified: complete supine position, in absence of abdominal contracture, in the end of expiration and expressed in mmHg. Most research results indicate keeping the transducer zeroed at the level of the mid-axillary line at the iliac crest level, and instill 25mL of sterile saline. Strong evidence must be developed.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alma M. L. Au ◽  
Stephen C. Y. Chan ◽  
H. M. Yip ◽  
Jackie Y. C. Kwok ◽  
K. Y. Lai ◽  
...  

Age-friendliness, promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO), aims to enable and support individuals in different aspects of life for fostering life satisfaction and personal well-being as they age. We identified specific aspect(s) of age-friendliness associated with life satisfaction and examined similarities and differences in age-friendliness and life satisfaction in young-old and old-old adults. Six hundred and eighty-two ageing adults were asked to complete a survey questionnaire consisting of the Age-friendly City Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and sociodemographic variables. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the effects of various domains of age-friendliness on life satisfaction among the young-old adults (aged 65 to 74, n=351) and the old-old adults (aged 75 to 97, n=331). Common domains associated with life satisfaction in both young-old and old-old groups were transportation and social participation. Community and health services were associated with life satisfaction for the young-old group only. On the other hand, civic participation and employment was significantly associated with the old-old group only. Social participation is important for the young-old and the old-old. Ageing older adults can be a resource to the society. Implications for promoting and implementing age-friendliness were discussed in the context of successful and productive ageing and the need for a more refined taxonomy of social activities.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 22
Author(s):  
Karam Adibifar ◽  
Melissa Monson

There are many sociological studies that have consistently demonstrated the importance of workplace alienation and its association with human health. However, nearly all research has focused on the objective dimension of alienation, overlooking the significance and in-depth understanding of subjective or covert forms of alienation. The purpose of this study is to explore the role and impact of subjective alienation on the mental and physical well-being of individuals, utilizing secondary analysis of data. The spillover effect of this type of alienation in relation to workplace behavior can significantly impact many aspects of people’s lives. Generally, alienation is the feeling of being disconnected and often occurs in the presence of, or presumed differentiation in social status. It lies in discrepancy and contradiction between subjective emotion and objective sensation; it is an inauthentic human relationship. This study finds that as a subtle form of bullying, covert alienation can produce significant levels of stress, which has countless consequences including emotional, financial, and physical problems. The findings also suggest that a lack of support in helping an alienated individual results in further alienation, leading to deviant behavior. Overall, this study may be helpful to organizations in recognizing maladaptive behaviors that might cause workplace alienation. Moreover, this study can be additional avenue to literature reviews, specifically in the area of subjective alienation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 23-30
Author(s):  
Judithya Anggita Savitri

This study aimed to find out the impact of Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) FoMO on psychological well-being especially for social media users at the age of emerging adulthood. This study used a quantitative correlational research. The research was conducted through online questionnaire invloving 400 people obtained through accidental sampling method. The data collected using a fear of missing out (FoMO) scale and a psychological well-being scale that had been modified from Przybylski's FoMO scale and Ryff's Psychological well-being scale. The FoMO scale consists of 15 items with good reliability estimation (α = 0.849) and the psychological well-being scale consists of 45 items with also a good reliability estimation (α = 0.941). The data was analyzed using the simple linear regression. The anlysis revealed that FoMO was able to predict psychological well-being (F=43,753; p=0,000 < α 0,05). FoMO can predict psychological well-being with a contribution value of 9,99%. The regression equation line obtained was Y = 154,264 – 0,633X. Further discussion regarding the impact of fear of missing out on psychological well-being among emerging adulthood aged social media users were elaborated.


Author(s):  
Carla Moleiro ◽  
Nuno Pinto

<p><br />This paper presents research on the enforcement and impact of the first legal gender recognition legislation in Portugal (Law no.7/2011). The study describes how the administrative process created by the law functioned during its initial 5-year period, and identifies challenges and processes of resistance to this legal innovation. Simultaneously, it seeks to assess the impact of the law on the social and psychological well-being of trans people, including in their access to vital spheres of social life such as education and employment. The research employs a mixed-methods approach and a multi-informant methodology: an online questionnaire was completed by 68 trans and non-binary people, and semi-structured in-depth interviews were carried out with various selected stakeholders: representatives of trans and LGBTIQ+ organisations (n=5), health professionals identified as experts in the topic and as gatekeepers in legal gender recognition processes (n=12), and trans people (n=6). Results show, on the one hand, the significant positive impact that legal gender recognition has on the psychological well-being and social welfare of the participants. On the other hand, results also show several challenges and forms of resistance to the implementation of the law, in particular those challenges resulting from the fact that legal gender recognition depended on a clinical diagnosis and the provision of a clinical report.</p>


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