In Case You Haven't Heard…

Can working remotely affect mental health? A new study suggests it may. Remote work surged during the COVID‐19 pandemic, but researchers found it is linked to increased social isolation, anxiety and depression compared to in‐person work, NPR reported June 8. “There is a great desire for remote work,” said Natalia Emanuel, an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and lead author of the study published in Science , who noted workers are willing to forgo 4% to 10% of earnings for flexibility. Still, her team found remote workers spend more time alone during the workday, report poorer mental health and have more visits to mental health providers. Nicholas Epley, a behavioral scientist and professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and not involved in the study, said workers may underestimate the long‐term impact of reduced social interaction. Using data from five large national surveys, researchers compared “remotable” and “non‐remotable” jobs and found higher levels of emotional distress, including anxiety and depression, among remote workers. The effects were most pronounced for those living alone, who experienced sharply higher rates of social isolation. “Being alone compromises your immune system functioning, your cardiovascular system functioning,” says Epley. Studies have also documented that the biggest predictor of well‐being and happiness is “the quality of your social relationships,” he added.