Satisfaction with activity-support and physical home-workspace characteristics in relation to mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

Bergefurt, Lisanne; Weijs-Perrée, Minou; Appel‐Meulenbroek, Rianne; Arentze, Theo; Kort, Y.

doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101826

Cited by 21 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 97 publications

(99 reference statements)

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“…Previous studies based on life experiences during the pandemic have reported the need for a dedicated working space at home ( Org et al, 2021 ; Awada et al, 2021b ; Bergefurt et al, 2022a , b ). Findings from a London-based study lead to recommending the establishment of minimum space standards and the inclusion of “ a wider range of home uses and household compositions in housing provision and design standards to cater to demographic shifts, for example, a growing ageing population, a rise in single-person homes, and an increase of non-related adults living together ” ( Alonso et al, 2022 , p. 11).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The actual and ideal indoor soundscape for work, relaxation, physical and sexual activity at home: A case study during the COVID-19 lockdown in London

et al. 2022

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The period of home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic made the importance of a high-quality surrounding environment even more evident than before. Several studies have been carried out to assess the (negative) impacts of noise on annoyance, particularly whilst working from home (WFH). The present study takes a step further by (1) investigating the positive and negative impacts of the “actual” acoustic environment on a range of activities, i.e., WFH, relaxation, physical, and sexual activities, and (2) identifying the characteristics of an “ideal” indoor soundscape. The study is based on the qualitative analysis of verbal descriptions collected from open-ended questions included in a survey administered in January 2021 to 464 respondents living in London, during the COVID-19 lockdown. The range of impacts in the actual scenario varied from no effect on task execution, to disruption, distraction, concern of disturbing others or being heard. Positive impacts included support of concentration, relaxation, motivation, freedom of sound expression, feeling of being connected to the surroundings and comforted by the presence of others, according to mechanisms described in the study. Negative appraisal could trigger coping strategies (e.g., controlling windows, playing music, wearing headphones) and behavioural changes (e.g., lowering the volume of the voice or music, muting oneself during call, changing workout type) that could in turn limit or enhance the freedom of behaviour, affect or foster wellbeing. Negative impacts were most frequently reported on WFH (by 55% of the participants), followed by relaxation activities (40.6%), sexual activities (30.1%), and home workout (20.1%). The ideal soundscape was described as a quiet, well-sound insulated environment, which guarantees access to positive sounds (i.e., natural sounds, music, urban background), thus resulting in privacy, intimacy, and a place where to express themselves without noise-related constraints. The study complements literature findings on housing design directions in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, by providing further evidence on the impacts of poor sound insulation at home, the potential benefits of nature-based solutions for positive indoor soundscapes, and opportunities for an activity-based design of domestic environments, inclusive of a broader set of home uses and household compositions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The actual and ideal indoor soundscape for work, relaxation, physical and sexual activity at home: A case study during the COVID-19 lockdown in London

et al. 2022

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“…The study by Montreuil and Lippel [14] received a quality score of 0%, because their method-ology was unclearly described and would therefore be 298 hard to reproduce. Satisfaction with privacy [7,13,23,30] Size of workspace [31] Importance of dedicated work area [14] Comfort of noise level [15,26,31] Size of home [21,22,35] Functionality of space as reason to WFH [30] Influence noise on mental health, productivity [27] Private/ shared workspace [31] Functionality of space [15,20] Noise sensitivity [27] Crowdedness [23] Types of noise [21,29] Housing typology [21,22,35] Noise annoyance [14,28]…”

Section: Methodologies Usedmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Illuminance levels [19] Satisfaction with electric light [5-7, 24, 25] Relative humidity [32,33] Satisfaction with humidity [6,24] Satisfaction with glare [5, 7,24,25] Perception temperature [28] Satisfaction with light environment [32] Thermal preference [15,31] Satisfaction with illuminance [19] Temperature as reason to WFH [30] Perception of presence of light [15] Comfort of light [28] Artificial light as reason to WFH [30]…”

Section: Work Area Typology [5]mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Access to outdoor space [16,34] Satisfaction with greenery [7] CO2 concentration [19,32] Satisfaction with air quality [5- 7, 19, 24-26, 28, 32] Type of outdoor space [34] Satisfaction with views outside [7,25] PM2.5 mass concentration [32] Satisfaction with ventilation [7,28] Time spent in garden [12] Visual access to nature as reason to WFH [30] Evaluation of air quality (poor-fresh) [15] Composition of garden [12] Perception of air quality [14,26] Type of view outside [16] Interference with air quality [26] Presence of plants [34] Air quality as reason to WFH [30] Look and feel…”

Section: Biophilia and Views Indoor Air Quality And Ventilationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Two items, namely 'feeling nervous, anxious or on edge' and 'not being able to stop or control worrying' are related to stress. In three studies, these items are combined with two items of the Stress and Worry Scale (i.e., 'feeling stressed', 'ruminating or agonising over things') [7,19,31].…”

Section: Stressmentioning

confidence: 99%

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How physical home workspace characteristics affect mental health: A systematic scoping review

Bergefurt

Appel‐Meulenbroek

Arentze

2023

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BACKGROUND: During the 1990s, voluntary teleworking became more grounded, because of expected advantages as increased productivity and comfort. However, COVID-19 obliged employees to work from home (WFH), even in unsuitable houses, which might have reduced their mental health. A holistic overview of methods and measures of the physical home-workspace characteristics and mental health is currently lacking. Insights in the potential influence of the physical home-workspace on mental health are also not yet holistically examined. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to provide insights in previously studied relationships between the physical home-workspace and mental health and to identify measures for both using a systematic scoping review. METHODS: This study used the PRISMA method to systematically review existing literature. RESULTS: Most studies focussed on noise, acoustics, and privacy, in relation to productivity, concentration, and sleep quality. Only a few studies used objective measures for physical home-workspace characteristics. CONCLUSION: The list of relevant measures can be used by academics to examine relationships between the home-workspace and mental health further. Workplace managers can use it to help employees in optimizing their home-workspace.

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Telecommuting During the Pandemic: A Bibliometric Study

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Satisfaction with activity-support and physical home-workspace characteristics in relation to mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

Cited by 21 publications

References 97 publications

The actual and ideal indoor soundscape for work, relaxation, physical and sexual activity at home: A case study during the COVID-19 lockdown in London

The actual and ideal indoor soundscape for work, relaxation, physical and sexual activity at home: A case study during the COVID-19 lockdown in London

How physical home workspace characteristics affect mental health: A systematic scoping review

Telecommuting During the Pandemic: A Bibliometric Study

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