Changes in mental well-being of adult Poles in the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic with reference to their occupational activity and remote work

• Authors: Zbigniew W. Izdebski , Joanna Mazur

Abstracts

EN

ObjectivesThe present study focused on the relationship between occupational activity and mental health during the first COVID-19 lockdown.Material and MethodsAt the turn of May and June 2020, an online survey was conducted on a representative sample of 3000 Poles (age: Me = 45 years). Working persons accounted for 52% of the respondents, while 38.1% were hired workers. Two standardized (0–100 pts) indices were defined. The level of mental health symptoms index (LMHSI) concerned the incidence of 4 problems within the past 2 months, whereas the change in mental health symptoms index (CMHSI) concerned the degree of mental health deterioration.ResultsThe mean value of LMHSI was 40.91 (SD = 26.97), and that of CMHSI 60.51 (SD = 23.97). In both cases, a worse assessment was obtained among women than among men. In the group of working respondents, the least advantageous results were found among those who worked casually or under a commission contract. Among the non-employed respondents, jobless persons and students were the group at risk. Remote work resulted in the deterioration of mental health in the light of CMHSI; however, a threat of changes in the professional situation affected LMHSI variability to the greatest extent The results of linear regression (R² = 0.339) suggest that the increase in the CMHSI score (adjusted for LMHSI) is independently influenced by female sex, university education, remote work and a threat of the worsening of employment terms. The analysis of the interaction effect showed a stronger impact of the last factor in the group of women (p = 0.001).ConclusionsTo conclude, COVID-19 restrictions were associated with a negative impact on mental health which should be analyzed in the occupational context.

Keywords

EN

online survey; employment status; COVID-19; remote work; mental health; change of employment terms

• Publisher: Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. dra Jerzego Nofera w Łodzi
• Journal: International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health
• Year: 2021
• Volume: 34
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 251-262

Dates

published

2021

Contributors

author

Zbigniew W. Izdebski

• University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland (Department of Biomedical Foundations of Development and Sexology, Faculty of Education)

author

Joanna Mazur

• University of Zielona Gora, Zielona Góra, Poland (Department of Humanization in Medicine and Sexology, Collegium Medicum)

Identifiers

DOI

10.13075/ijomeh.1896.01778

Biblioteka Nauki

2086085