Office Work Beats Remote Work for Mental Health: Study

Office Work Beats Remote Work for Mental Health: Study
Building strong workplace relationships and experiencing a sense of pride in one’s work are more crucial to mental health than commonly emphasized work-life balance factors like workload and flexibility, according to a new global study.
An interesting outcome of the study, which examined nine aspects of work culture, showed that Indians working in offices had better mental health outcomes than those working from home or in hybrid setups. This finding contrasts with the results from the Americas and Europe, where hybrid work arrangements were associated with the best mental health indicators.
The study, titled Work Culture & Mental Wellbeing, was conducted by Sapiens Labs, a U.S.-based mental health research organization. Data was collected this year from 54,831 employed, internet-enabled respondents across 65 countries.
Key Findings:
•    Work Location: Mental Health Quotient (MHQ) scores were highest for those working fully in-person (61.8), followed by hybrid (48.0), and fully remote (30.2).
•    Team Size: Larger teams were linked to better mental health, with MHQ scores increasing from those working alone (44.0) to those in teams of 15+ (72.1).