Our study focused on variables including psychological distress, life satisfaction and loneliness. We analysed data from more than 10,000 participants at each point, all aged between 16 and 66 and in employment.Īs well as collecting data on working location, the longitudinal studies we included collect information on mental health and social wellbeing. The first was during the first UK lockdown (April to June 2020), the second was when restrictions were eased (July to October 2020), and the third was during the second lockdown (November 2020 to March 2021). We pooled results from seven UK longitudinal data sets – Next Steps, the British Cohort Study, the National Child and Development Study, the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, Generation Scotland, Born in Bradford, and Understanding Society – to explore the relationship between home working and mental health at three different time points. In a recent study, we found that home working was not detrimental to mental health in the early stages of the pandemic, but was associated with negative effects later on. My colleagues and I wanted to understand how home working correlated with mental health and social wellbeing during the pandemic. This compares with roughly 5% working fully from home and 9% working partially from home in 2018. Between September 2022 and January 2023, 16% of working adults in the UK reported working fully from home, and 28% working partially from home.

According to UK data, almost 60% of people were working fully or partially from home between April and June 2020.Īnd it’s becoming increasingly apparent that for many people, home working is here to stay. One of the key changes to our daily lives brought about by the COVID pandemic was, for those able to do so, working from home.

Heal with You by Nicky James