A rapid review of mental and physical health effects of working at home: how do we optimise health?

Abstract Background The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in changes to the working arrangements of millions of employees who are now based at home and may continue to work at home, in some capacity, for the foreseeable future. Decisions on how to promote employees’ health whilst working at home (WAH) need to be based on the best available evidence to optimise worker outcomes. The aim of this rapid review was to review the impact of WAH on individual workers’ mental and physical health, and determine any gender difference, to develop recommendations for employers and employees to optimise workers’ health. Method A search was undertaken in three databases, PsychInfo, ProQuest, and Web of Science, from 2007 to May 2020. Selection criteria included studies which involved employees who regularly worked at home, and specifically reported on physical or mental health-related outcomes. Two review authors independently screened studies for inclusion, one author extracted data and conducted risk of bias assessments with review by a second author. Results Twenty-three papers meet the selection criteria for this review. Ten health outcomes were reported: pain, self-reported health, safety, well-being, stress, depression, fatigue, quality of life, strain and happiness. The impact on health outcomes was strongly influenced by the degree of organisational support available to employees, colleague support, social connectedness (outside of work), and levels of work to family conflict. Overall, women were less likely to experience improved health outcomes when WAH. Conclusions This review identified several health outcomes affected by WAH. The health/work relationship is complex and requires consideration of broader system factors to optimise the effects of WAH on workers’ health. It is likely mandated WAH will continue to some degree for the foreseeable future; organisations will need to implement formalised WAH policies that consider work-home boundary management support, role clarity, workload, performance indicators, technical support, facilitation of co-worker networking, and training for managers.

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The Prevalence and Health Impacts of Frequent Work Discrimination and Harassment among Women Firefighters in the US Fire Service

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2019/6740207 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-13 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sara A. Jahnke ◽

Christopher K. Haddock ◽

Nattinee Jitnarin ◽

Christopher M. Kaipust ◽

Brittany S. Hollerbach ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Physical Health ◽

Well Being ◽

Fire Service ◽

Poor Health ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Women Firefighters ◽

The Impact ◽

Mental And Physical Health

Intro. Both discrimination and harassment directly impact mental and physical health. Further, workplace discrimination degrades workplace culture and negatively impacts health behaviors, job-related outcomes, and family dynamics. Women represent a small proportion of the fire service and are often the targets of discrimination/harassment, yet little research documents the impact of such experiences. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between chronic work discrimination and/or harassment and women firefighters’ (FFs) physical and mental health, substance abuse, and job efficacy, stress, and satisfaction. Methods. Snowball sampling was used to solicit participation from women career FFs. Participants completed an online survey regarding physical and mental health, health behavior, job efficacy/stress/satisfaction, and family well-being. Logistic regression examined the impact of work discrimination-harassment severity on dichotomous variables. Results. 1,773 had complete data on their experiences with work-related discrimination and harassment. Women reported experiencing verbal (37.5%) and written (12.9%) harassment, hazing (16.9%), sexual advances (37.4%), and assaults (5.1%) in the fire service. FFs in the highest tertile of work discrimination-harassment severity reported over 40% more poor health days in the last 30 days (OR=1.42; 95%CI=1.33-1.51; p<0.001). Women who experienced moderate and severe discrimination/harassment had negative mental health outcomes including higher prevalence of depressive symptoms, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms. Those who experienced high rates of discrimination and/or harassment also were more likely to report issues with alcohol consumption. Conclusion. The impact of discrimination and harassment, related negative physical and mental outcomes, low levels of job satisfaction, and negative impact of these experiences on family/home stress likely take a significant toll on women in the fire service. Findings confirm and extend previous work suggesting there is a need to improve the mental and physical health of women FFs. Future work should examine the prospective relationship between discrimination/harassment and poor health outcomes and potential policies/practices to reduce these negative behaviors.

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Monoculturals and Biculturals: Similarities and Differences in Health and Social Outcomes

10.31234/osf.io/qtks9 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Roxanne Moadel-Attie ◽

Sheri R. Levy ◽

Bonita London

Keyword(s):

Health Outcomes ◽

Physical Health ◽

Social Identity Theory ◽

Online Survey ◽

Intergroup Contact ◽

Psychosocial Outcomes ◽

Cultural Identities ◽

Physical Health Outcomes ◽

The Impact ◽

Mental And Physical Health

Social Identity Theory posits that social identities (cultural identities in particular) are critical to individual’s self-concepts, often predicting relative costs and benefits in terms of social and health outcomes. In accordance with this theoretical framework, we aimed to explore psychosocial outcomes for monocultural and bicultural individuals. We conducted an online survey at Stony Brook University, collecting data from 339 undergraduates about their cultural identification, social behaviors, and mental and physical health outcomes. The results of our exploratory study, analyzed via hierarchal regression, indicated that there were no significant differences between monoculturals and biculturals in terms of mental and physical health. However, there were significant differences between these groups in regards to desired intergroup contact, indicating that biculturals and individuals with high identity mismatch exhibited a higher propensity for intergroup contact than monoculturals and those with low identity mismatch, respectively. Accordingly, beyond the impact of maintaining multiple cultural identities and strength of identity, identity mismatch plays a significant role in psychosocial outcomes.

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Social Isolation, Loneliness, and Mental and Emotional Well-being among International Students in the United States

International Journal of Translational Medical Research and Public Health ◽

10.21106/ijtmrph.82 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 75-82

Author(s):

Mehrete Girmay ◽

Gopal K. Singh

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

International Students ◽

Physical Health ◽

Social Isolation ◽

International Student ◽

Well Being ◽

The United States ◽

Domestic Students ◽

The Impact ◽

Mental And Physical Health

Background: Loneliness and social isolation have the ability to affect an individual's mental and physical health. With research linking both to morbidity and premature mortality, their effects must be viewed as important public health problems. Loneliness and social isolation can be especially pronounced in the international student community, particularly at the university level, as this population encounters challenges assimilating to their host university, surrounding community, and host country. This study explores the risks and sociocultural factors associated with loneliness, social isolation, and psychological distress with regards to the overall adjustment of international students. Methods: In this qualitative, narrative case study, 10 international graduate students at a university in the United States participated in two focus group sessions followed by individual interviews. Thematic areas and topics were identified using Barrer's three models of social support. Study was completed between December 2016 and September 2017. Results: All of the participants shared that they had experienced loneliness and social isolation at some point during their acculturative process resulting in perceived xenophobia and a sense of insincerity on behalf of domestic students when attempting to forge connections. For some, these experiences elicited feelings of depression, a disinterest in building connections with domestic students, and in attending social events held on campus and within the community, further exacerbating feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Conclusions and Implications for Translation: Results shed light on the impact that poor acculturation can have on the student's mental and physical health and how bridges between the international and non-international communities can be built and more importantly, sustained. There is a critical need for more effort to be focused on attending to both the mental and physical health needs of migrant students during their stay at the host university. Key words: • Acculturation • Social Isolation • Loneliness • Mental Health • International • Student Copyright © 2019 Girmay and Singh. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Com- mons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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Evaluating How and Why the Environmental Context Shapes the Course of Development Across the Adult Lifespan

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.1513 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 391-391

Author(s):

Omar Staben ◽

Frank Infurna ◽

Eileen Crimmins

Keyword(s):

Physical Health ◽

Longitudinal Design ◽

Well Being ◽

Physical Symptoms ◽

Self Report ◽

Subjective Indicators ◽

Adult Lifespan ◽

The Impact ◽

Mental And Physical Health ◽

Health And Well Being

Abstract There is a long-standing literature that has documented the importance of both the immediate and distal context in impacting mental and physical health across the adult lifespan. The goal of this symposium is to bring together a collection of papers that target the extent to which the immediate and distal context as measured through objective and subjective indicators relate to pertinent outcomes of mental and physical health. Staben and colleagues use an intensive longitudinal design in middle-aged adults to show that objective and subjective indicators of the neighborhood are associated with higher levels of and are protective against the impact of monthly adversity on mental health and well-being. Munoz and colleagues evaluate associations between objective and subjective early-life neighborhood contexts and whether they play a role in cognitive function at midlife. They find that poorer age-five self-report conditions were associated with lower working memory. Osuna and colleagues examine how both neighborhood and housing conditions play a role on psychological well-being. They find that housing and neighborhood safety conditions are associated with depressive symptoms over time. Piazza and colleagues examine associations between daily financial thoughts, SES, and indices of emotional and physical health. They find that individuals who reported more daily financial thoughts also reported more negative affect and physical symptoms. The discussion by Crimmins will integrate the four papers by highlighting the importance of how different forms of context can impact development in adulthood and old age, particularly in relation to health and well-being and consider future routes of inquiry.

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The impact of COVID-19 on Italy Web users: a quantitative analysis of regional hygiene interest and emotional response

10.1101/2020.08.09.20171181 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Alessandro Rovetta ◽

Lucia Castaldo

Keyword(s):

Physical Health ◽

Well Being ◽

Google Trends ◽

P Value ◽

Online Information ◽

The Novel ◽

Web Searches ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

The Impact ◽

Mental And Physical Health

Background: Between the end of February and the beginning of June 2020, Italy was certainly one of the worst affected countries in the world by the COVID-19 pandemic. During this period, web interest in the novel coronavirus has undergone a drastic surge. Objective: The aim of this study was to quantitatively analyze the impact of COVID-19 on Web searches related to hygiene-preventive measures and emotional-psychological aspects as well as to estimate the effectiveness and limits of online information during an epidemic. We looked for significant correlations between COVID-19 relative search volumes and cases per region to understand the interest of the average Italian Web user during international, national, and regional COVID-19 situations. By doing so, from the analysis of Web searches, it will be possible to deduce the mental and physical health of the population. Methods: To conduct this research, we used the "Google Trends" tool, which returns normalized values, called "relative search volumes" (RSVs), ranging from 0 to 100 according to the Web popularity of a group of queries. By comparing the RSVs in periods before and after the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Italy, we derived the impact of COVID-19 on the activity of Italian netizens towards novel coronavirus itself, specifically regarding hygiene, prevention, and psychological well-being. Furthermore, we calculated Pearson's correlations ρ ; between all these queries and COVID-19 cases for each region. We chose a p-value (p) threshold α=.1. Results: After the two initial spikes that occurred on February 23 and March 9, 2020, the general web interest in COVID-19 in Italy waned, as did the correlation with the official number of cases per region (p< .1 only until March 14, 2020). However, web interest was similarly distributed across the regions (ASV=92,SD=6). We also found that all trends depend significantly on the number of COVID-19 cases at national but not international or regional levels. Between February 20 and June 10, 2020, web interest relating to hygiene and prevention increased by 116% and 901%, respectively, compared to those from January 1 to February 19, 2020 (95% CIs: [115.3,116.3],[850.3,952,2]). Significant correlations between regional cumulative web searches and COVID-19 cases were found only between February 26 and March 7, 2020 (ρ-best= .43, 95% CI:[.42,.44],p= .07). During the COVID-19 pandemic until June 10, 2020, national web searches of the generic terms "fear" and "anxiety" grew by 8% and 21%, respectively (95% CIs: [8.0,8.2],[20.4,20.6]) compared to those of the period January 1, 2018 - December 29, 2019. We found cyclically significant correlations between negative emotions related to the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 official data. Conclusions: Italian netizens showed a marked interest in the COVID-19 pandemic only when this became a direct national problem. In general, web searches have rarely been correlated with the number of cases per region; we conclude that the danger, once it arrived in the country, was perceived similarly in all regions. We can state that the period of maximum effectiveness of online information, in relation to this type of situation, is limited to 3-4 days from a specific key event. If such a scenario were to occur again, we suggest that all government agencies focus their web disclosure efforts over that time. Despite this, we found cyclical correlations with web searches related to negative feelings such as anxiety, depression, fear, and stress. Therefore, to identify mental and physical health problems among the population, it suffices to observe slight variations in the trend of related web queries. Keywords: COVID-19, Google Trends, web interests, Italy, novel coronavirus.

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Effects of non-pharmacological and non-surgical interventions on health outcomes in systemic sclerosis: protocol for a living systematic review

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-047428 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. e047428

Author(s):

Marie-Nicole Discepola ◽

Andrea Carboni-Jiménez ◽

Linda Kwakkenbos ◽

Richard S Henry ◽

Jill Boruff ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Systemic Sclerosis ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Physical Health ◽

Well Being ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Pharmacological Interventions ◽

Surgical Interventions ◽

Physical Health Outcomes ◽

Mental And Physical Health

IntroductionSystemic sclerosis (SSc; scleroderma) is a rare, chronic, autoimmune disease with a high level of burden, a significant impact on the ability to carry out daily activities, and a considerable negative impact on health-related quality of life. Non-pharmacological interventions could be provided to potentially improve mental and physical health outcomes. However, the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions on health and well-being among individuals with SSc has not been well established. The proposed living systematic review aims to identify and evaluate randomised controlled trial (RCT) evidence on the effectiveness of non-pharmacological and non-surgical interventions on mental and physical health outcomes and on the delivery of such services in SSc.Methods and analysisEligible studies will be RCTs that examine non-pharmacological and non-surgical interventions aimed at improving health outcomes among individuals with SSc or the delivery of services intended to improve healthcare or support of people with SSc (eg, support groups). All RCTs included in a previous systematic review that sought studies published between 1990 and March 2014 will be evaluated for inclusion. Additional trials will be sought from January 2014 onwards using a similar, augmented search strategy developed by a health sciences librarian. We will search the MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases and will not restrict by language. Two independent reviewers will determine the eligibility of identified RCTs and will extract data using a prespecified standardised form in DistillerSR. Meta-analyses will be considered if ≥2 eligible RCTs report similar non-pharmacological interventions and comparable health outcomes. We will conduct a qualitative synthesis for interventions that cannot be synthesised via meta-analysis.Ethics and disseminationWe will post initial and ongoing results via a website, publish results periodically via peer-reviewed journal publication, and present results at patient-oriented events.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020219914.

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The Impact of Caring for Grandchildren on Grandparents’ Physical Health Outcomes: The Role of Intergenerational Support

Research on Aging ◽

10.1177/0164027515623332 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 39 (5) ◽

pp. 612-634 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Jing Zhou ◽

Weiyu Mao ◽

Yura Lee ◽

Iris Chi

Keyword(s):

Longitudinal Data ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Physical Health ◽

Rural China ◽

Well Being ◽

Intergenerational Support ◽

Grandparent Caregivers ◽

Physical Health Outcomes ◽

The Impact

Little longitudinal data exist on grandparent caregivers and few studies have examined their physical health outcomes. This study examined the effect of caring for grandchildren on grandparents’ physical health and the role of intergenerational support from adult children. Longitudinal data derived from a survey on the well-being of older adults in China were used to conduct path analysis of previous grandparent caregivers (vs. noncaregivers) and repeated grandparent caregivers (vs. noncaregivers). The final sample was 799 grandparents aged 60 or older living in rural China. Three aspects of intergenerational support were measured: financial, emotional, and instrumental support. Repeated grandparent caregivers had better self-rated health (SRH) and fewer limitations than noncaregivers. Previous grandparent caregivers had better SRH compared to noncaregivers. Emotional support mediated the relationship between caregiving and SRH among repeated caregivers. Findings suggest that any caregiving experience (previous or repeated) provides health benefits to grandparents.

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Daily Autonomy Support and Sexual Identity Disclosure Predicts Daily Mental and Physical Health Outcomes

Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin ◽

10.1177/0146167217700399 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 43 (6) ◽

pp. 860-873 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Nicole Legate ◽

Richard M. Ryan ◽

Ronald D. Rogge

Keyword(s):

Health Outcomes ◽

Physical Health ◽

Autonomy Support ◽

Well Being ◽

Physical Symptoms ◽

Need Satisfaction ◽

Physical Health Outcomes ◽

Identity Disclosure ◽

Sexual Identity Disclosure ◽

Mental And Physical Health

Using a daily diary methodology, we examined how social environments support or fail to support sexual identity disclosure, and associated mental and physical health outcomes. Results showed that variability in disclosure across the diary period related to greater psychological well-being and fewer physical symptoms, suggesting potential adaptive benefits to selectively disclosing. A multilevel path model indicated that perceiving autonomy support in conversations predicted more disclosure, which in turn predicted more need satisfaction, greater well-being, and fewer physical symptoms that day. Finally, mediation analyses revealed that disclosure and need satisfaction explained why perceiving autonomy support in a conversation predicted greater well-being and fewer physical symptoms. That is, perceiving autonomy support in conversations indirectly predicted greater wellness through sexual orientation disclosure, along with feeling authentic and connected in daily interactions with others. Discussion highlights the role of supportive social contexts and everyday opportunities to disclose in affecting sexual minority mental and physical health.

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Employee Stress and Well-Being

Psychology ◽

10.1093/obo/9780199828340-0288 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Wheeler Nakahara ◽

Steve Jex ◽

Kristin Horan

Keyword(s):

Physical Health ◽

Well Being ◽

Research Articles ◽

Job Stressors ◽

Strain Relationship ◽

Employee Stress ◽

Related Stress ◽

Job Related Stress ◽

The Impact ◽

Mental And Physical Health

This article provides a general overview of overarching topics in the literature on stress and well-being. Broadly stated, the study of employee stress and well-being is concerned with the impact of work on the mental and physical health of employees. Topics covered in this overview include stress theories, commonly studied job stressors, strains associated with those stressors, moderators, and mediators of the stressor-strain relationship, as well as interventions to address job-related stress in the workplace. In addition to general overviews of these topics (and subtopics), brief annotations of research articles for each topic are included.

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The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in the general population: a comparison between Germany and the UK

10.1101/2020.08.27.20182980 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Franziska Knolle ◽

Lisa Ronan ◽

Graham K Murray

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

General Population ◽

Physical Health ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Well Being ◽

Work Place ◽

Financial Situation ◽

The Uk ◽

The Impact ◽

Mental And Physical Health

In March 2020 the SARS-CoV-2infection (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic. In response to its world-wide outbreak radical measures were taken by governments across the world including curfew, quarantine, travel bans, social distancing, work place and school closures, etc, to reduce the transmission of the virus. These measures led to dramatic social and economic changes for the general population, in addition to the fears and worries related to the disease and its contraction. First studies report the impact of the pandemic on mental well-being of the general population showing increased levels of anxiety, stress and depression. In this study, we compare the impact of the pandemic on two European countries: the UK and Germany, which reported their first cases within a week. 241 residents of the UK and 541 residents of Germany filled in an online survey, including questions on COVID-19 exposure, impact on financial situation and work, substance and media consumption, self-reported mental and physical health, as well as including two clinical questionnaires, the general mental health Symptom Check List-27 (SCL-27) and the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. Data collection was completed between 27/04/20-31/05/20. We found distinct differences between the two countries. UK responders reported a stronger direct impact on their health, financial situation and their families. UK responders had higher clinical scores on the SCL-27, with a higher percentage being above cut-off. Interestingly, however, we found that German responders were less hopeful for an end of the pandemic and more concerned about their life-stability. Generally, we found that a younger age, being female, lower education, poorer mental and physical health before the pandemic, as well as more social media and substance consumption was associated with a higher clinical risk. This research shows strong differences between two economically and culturally similar countries, but as 25% of both German and UK responders reported a subjective worsening of the general psychological symptoms and 20-50% of German and UK responders reached the clinical cut-off for depressive, dysthymic and anxieties, it specifically shows the need for health emergency tailored intervention systems to assist not only people vulnerable for mental health problems, but also large proportions of the general public.

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