How physical home workspace characteristics affect mental health: A systematic scoping review.

BACKGROUND: During the 1990s, voluntary teleworking became more grounded, because of expected advantages as increased productivity and comfort. However, COVID-19 obliged employees to work from home (WFH), even in unsuitable houses, which might have reduced their mental health. A holistic overview of methods and measures of the physical home-workspace characteristics and mental health is currently lacking. Insights in the potential influence of the physical home-workspace on mental health are also not yet holistically examined. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to provide insights in previously studied relationships between the physical home-workspace and mental health and to identify measures for both using a systematic scoping review. METHODS: This study used the PRISMA method to systematically review existing literature. RESULTS: Most studies focussed on noise, acoustics, and privacy, in relation to productivity, concentration, and sleep quality. Only a few studies used objective measures for physical home-workspace characteristics. CONCLUSION: The list of relevant measures can be used by academics to examine relationships between the home-workspace and mental health further. Workplace managers can use it to help employees in optimizing their home-workspace.

The business case for a healthy office; a holistic overview of relations between office workspace design and mental health.

The role of the physical workspace in employee mental health is often overlooked. As a (mentally) healthy workforce is vital for an organisation's success, it is important to optimise office workspace conditions. Previous studies on the effects of the physical workspace on mental health tended to focus on the effects of a specific element of the physical workspace on one or only a few mental health indicators. This study takes a more holistic approach by addressing the relationship of physical workspace characteristics with ten broad indicators of work-related mental health. Results of a systematic review of empirical evidence show that many aspects of (day)light, office layout/design, and temperature and thermal comfort have been proven to be related to many mental health indicators. Less tacit workspace characteristics (e.g., noise, use of colours) have been explored too, but so far have only been related to a few mental health indicators.Practitioner summary: The absence of holistic insights regarding the empirical proof of the effects of workspace design on employee mental health prevents a clear business case for workplace investments. This paper presents a content analysis of existing studies and shows how seven elements of workspace design relate to 10 mental health indicators.

The influence of distractions of the home-work environment on mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Previous research showed that office workers are mainly distracted by noise, influencing their mental health. Little investigation has been done into the influence of other workspace characteristics (i.e. temperature, amount of space, visual privacy, adjustability of furniture, wall colours, and workspace cleanliness) on distractions at the office, and even fewer while working from home (WFH). The influence of home-workspace distractions on mental health also received limited attention. This research aims to investigate relationships between home-workspace and personal characteristics, distraction, and mental health while WFH during COVID-19. A path analysis approach was used, to find that, at home, employees were distracted by noise and when having a small desk. Those with a dedicated workroom were less distracted. Distractions mediated most relationships between home-workspace characteristics and mental health, while personal characteristics influenced mental health directly. Employers can use these results to redesign policies regarding home-and-office working to stimulate a healthy work environment.Practitioner summary: The investigation of the influence of home-workspace characteristics on distractions and mental health while WFH during COVID-19 appears to be limited. This research filled this gap by performing a path analysis, using a holistic definition of mental health. Findings showed that distractions mediate relationships between home-workspace characteristics and mental health.