The effects of telework on mental health​

In this presentation, I, currently on parental leave but a seasoned remote worker, explore the multifaceted impacts of prolonged work-from-home practices intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. I will share my personal journey, including the advantages and physical challenges I've encountered, such as a decrease in physical activity. Moving beyond my experiences, I delve into the potential mental drawbacks of continuous remote work, supported by findings from three scholarly papers. One of the central concepts I will introduce is the "Zoom Exhaustion and Fatigue (ZEF) scale." Finally, I will consolidate the insights gleaned from these papers and share my unique perspective on this evolving phenomenon, thereby creating a narrative that intertwines personal anecdotes with academic research.

Transcript

1. The effects of telework on mental health Megumi Isogawa
2. Agenda • Five theoretical nonverbal mechanisms • The research of the ZEF • Outline of Summary • Conclusions of the research • Gender-specific impacts of telework on fatigue, stress, and quality of life • Pros and cons of telework • Conclusion • References
3. Do you like Zoom meetings?
4. Five theoretical nonverbal mechanisms Mirror anxiety Physical confinement Excessive gaze from an array of faces Generating nonverbal cues Cognitive burden from deciphering nonverbal signals SOURCE: Bailenson, 2021, as cited in Fauville et al., 2021
5. Five theoretical nonverbal mechanisms Mirror anxiety Constantly seeing one's own image in video conferences can lead to increased self-consciousness and anxiety. For example, worrying too much about whether your hairstyle is messy or if your facial expressions are appropriate. SOURCE: Bailenson, 2021, as cited in Fauville et al., 2021
6. Five theoretical nonverbal mechanisms Physical confinement Being restricted to a small space (the camera's field of view) can cause feelings of confinement and discomfort. For example, sitting in the same spot for hours without ever standing up. SOURCE: Bailenson, 2021, as cited in Fauville et al., 2021
7. Five theoretical nonverbal mechanisms Excessive gaze from an array of faces The grid of faces in a video conference can create the feeling of being constantly stared at, leading to increased social pressure and stress. For example, feeling watched by not only the person speaking but also other participants. SOURCE: Bailenson, 2021, as cited in Fauville et al., 2021
8. Five theoretical nonverbal mechanisms The effort required to generate and interpret nonverbal cues in video conferences can increase cognitive load and result in fatigue. For example, nodding more emphatically to convey to the other person that you understand. SOURCE: Bailenson, 2021, as cited in Fauville et al., 2021 Generating nonverbal cues
9. Five theoretical nonverbal mechanisms Interpreting nonverbal cues from others in video conferences can also contribute to cognitive load and exhaustion. For example, discerning from someone's facial expressions and gestures whether they understand a question or need additional explanations. SOURCE: Bailenson, 2021, as cited in Fauville et al., 2021 Cognitive burden from deciphering nonverbal signals
10. Five theoretical nonverbal mechanisms Mirror anxiety Physical confinement Excessive gaze from an array of faces Generating nonverbal cues Cognitive burden from deciphering nonverbal signals SOURCE: Bailenson, 2021, as cited in Fauville et al., 2021
11. The research of the ZEF SOURCE: Fauville et al., 2021 •The ZEF = Zoom Exhaustion and Fatigue scale •Number of participants: Over 10,000 •Target population: General users of Zoom meetings •Location: Online (no specific location mentioned) •Research method: Online survey, measuring Zoom fatigue using the Zoom Exhaustion and Fatigue (ZEF) Scale, and analyzing the relationship between nonverbal mechanisms, demographics, and personality traits.
12. Factors influencing Zoom fatigue: Frequency, duration, and burstiness of meetings SOURCE: Fauville et al., 2021 • Zoom fatigue increases with the • frequency of meetings • duration of meetings • the time between meetings (burstiness).
13. Gender differences and factors influencing Zoom fatigue SOURCE: Fauville et al., 2021 • Women reported higher levels of fatigue than men, even when accounting for differences in usage, demographics, and personality. • Mirror anxiety was identified as a primary mediator for the gender effect on fatigue, meaning that self-view in video conferencing causes more anxiety for women than men. • Other factors, such as being extroverted, older, having a social context, and being white, were found to be less likely to experience fatigue. However, the tendency for women to feel more fatigued than men persisted even when considering these variables.
14. Gender-specific impacts of telework on fatigue, stress, and quality of life • Women working from home have more exhaustion than office workers1. • Men working long hours at home improve autonomy and quality of life, but women do not.2 • Women working from home have lower stress but higher fatigue, men have lower levels of both.3 SOURCE: [1]Windelar et al., 2017, as cited in Oakman et al., 2020 [2]Hornung et al., 2009, as cited in Oakman et al., 2020 [3]Kim et al, 2020, as cited in Oakman et al., 2020
15. Pros and Cons of Telework SOURCE: Oakman et al., 2020 • Benefits • Reduced Stress • Reduced commuting stress • Increased schedule flexibility • Better work/family balance • Better life control • Increased Job Satisfaction • Problems • Increased family responsibilities • Blurring of boundaries between work and home • Health problems such as metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease Oakman et al.,(2020) explained in their Literature review that Telework has been shown to have overall benefits.
16. Conclusion • There is a fatigue mechanism specific to Zoom, and it's related to meeting length, short breaks, gender, and personality and other factors. • Women, in particular, tend to feel more tired than men when teleworking. • On the other hand, overall, telework is considered more beneficial. Companies and people need to know the facts from these studies and be ready to plan meetings and take care of mental health better.
17. • Fauville et al,. (2021). Nonverbal Mechanisms Predict Zoom Fatigue and Explain Why Women Experience Higher Levels than Men. Social Science Research Network. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3820035 • Oakman et al,. (2020). A rapid review of mental and physical health effects of working at home: how do we optimise health? BMC Public Health, 20, 1825. https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-020-09875-z • Tavares, A. I. (2017). Telework and health effects review. International Journal of Healthcare, 3(2), 30-36. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijh.v3n2p30 References