Remote work can be bad for mental health — especially if you live alone

Solo remote workers go without social contact on 25 percent of workdays — more than twice the rate of in-person workers; experts say meaningful connection matters more than where you work

Remote work can improve work-life balance and boost productivity, but for employees who live alone it may deepen social isolation and mental stress, according to new research.

A study published in the journal Science found that solo-dwelling remote workers reported higher levels of psychological distress and social isolation than people in jobs requiring in-person attendance, CNN reported Saturday (local time).

Researchers compared workers in remote-capable occupations — such as marketing — with those in roles requiring on-site presence, drawing on more than a decade of national survey data from the United States.

Remote workers living alone spent 25 percent of their workdays with no social contact with another person — more than twice the rate recorded for workers in in-person occupations. The increase in psychological distress since the pandemic was also roughly twice as large among solo remote workers as among those who share their home with others.

CNN identified the growing stretches of time spent alone as the key driver of deteriorating mental health.

Organizational psychologist Constance Noonan Hadley said "people who feel lonely can become more sensitive to social rejection and may actually start avoiding others," adding that "the less social interaction people have, the more daunting it becomes to engage with others again — creating a vicious cycle of deepening isolation."

However, returning to the office does not automatically benefit mental health. Employees can go an entire day at the office with little conversation, and workplace relationships are not always positive. Forcing workers back against their will could, in fact, backfire and harm their mental well-being.

Hadley said "going to the office does not automatically create a meaningful and socially fulfilling environment."

According to Hadley, the workplaces that scored highest for social satisfaction were neither homes nor offices but "third spaces" such as cafes and coworking spaces — settings where people can naturally share a space with others while escaping the competition and tension that often characterize traditional workplaces.

"You don't have to go to the office to increase social interaction," Hadley said. "If management forces employees to do something they clearly don't want to do, loneliness can actually grow."

Experts say what matters most is whether a person feels respected and valued by those around them — in other words, that meaningful social connection outweighs physical work location. They also recommended that companies introduce mentoring programs, internal gatherings and events that reflect employees' own preferences.

Even for remote workers, CNN said, it is important to make a conscious effort to spend time with others so that solitary hours do not stretch too long, and to seek out the environment where one feels the greatest sense of belonging.

yckim6452@heraldcorp.com