Worries about COVID-19 infection and psychological distress at work and while commuting

Abstract

Objective: This study examined the relationship between worry about COVID-19 infection in general, in the workplace and while commuting to work and psychological distress in the midst of a rapid outbreak of COVID-19 in Japan. Methods: This cross-sectional, internet monitor study was conducted on December 22-26, 2020. Subjects were collected from throughout Japan. Out of a total of 33,302 participants, 26,841 people were included in the study after removing those providing fraudulent responses. The subjects were asked single-item questions about whether they were worried about COVID-19 infection in general, at work and while commuting to work. Kessler 6 (K6) was used to assess psychological distress. The odds ratios (ORs) of psychological distress associated with worry about infection were estimated using a multilevel logistic model nested in the prefecture of residence, with adjustment for sex, age, education, equivalent household income, occupation, number of business establishments, smoking status, alcohol consumption, frequency of telecommuting, use of public transportation, perceived assessment of workplace infection control efforts, presence of infection among acquaintances, and experience of being a close contact. Psychological distress was defined as a K6 score of 5 or higher and 13 or higher. Results: Multivariate analysis showed that the OR of severe psychological distress associated with general worry about COVID-19 infection was 1.10 (95% CI 1.00-1.22). The OR was significantly higher in association with worry about infection in the workplace at 1.71 (95%CI 1.53-1.92) and worry about infection while commuting at 1.49 (95%CI 1.32-1.67). Conclusions: The present study suggests the need for psychological intervention to reduce worry about infection in response to public mental health challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commuting demands and appraisals: A systematic review and meta-analysis of strain and wellbeing outcomes

“…According to Willis Towers Watson (2020), nearly half of businesses in the U.S. have implemented telecommuting policies since the beginning of 2020. Further, recent research has reported that employees anticipate additional distress about commuting to work again (e.g., Uehara et al, 2021). Our findings have implications for future thinking about the changing nature of work.…”

“…Commute time was found to be related to sick leave for low-income women (Karlström & Isacsson, 2010), increased body mass index (Jun et al, 2019), less physical exercise (Nomoto et al, 2015), less sleep (Nomoto et al, 2015), and general absenteeism (Ma & Ye, 2019). Urhonen and colleagues (2016) found that those who had longer commutes for an extended period (i.e., more than 11 years) had more health complaints than those with longer commutes for shorter periods (i.e., less than 2 years). In one of the few qualitative studies in the commuting literature, participants who had longer commute times discussed having less personal time for themselves and less flexibility within their day (Flynn, 2017).…”

“…Longer commutes (e.g., more time spent commuting) were also related to subjective strain-related criteria for health outcomes, work outcomes, and family outcomes. Commute duration was associated with higher perceived stress (Gottholmseder et al, 2009; Haider et al, 2013), lower life satisfaction (Jun et al, 2019; Kleinfehn, 2016; Nie & Sousa-Poza, 2018), lower job satisfaction (Crawley, 2014; Roberts et al, 2011; Sun et al, 2020), poorer mental health and subjective wellbeing (Roberts et al, 2011; Stutzer & Frey, 2008), poorer perceived health (Sun et al, 2020; Urhonen et al, 2016), greater intent to quit (Morrow, 2010), and higher work-family conflict (Morrow, 2010). Finally, one study investigated indirect effects of objective commuting demands on wellbeing (albeit not as depicted in our model).…”

A cross-sectional study of psychosocial factors and sickness presenteeism in Japanese workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…It becomes difficult to distinguish between work and private life, and workers tend to work long hours. Workers who do not benefit from remote work, such as those engaged in essential services, may experience the stress of commuting with an increased risk of COVID-19 infection, as well as a feeling of being treated unfairly compared with head office/headquarters staff of the same company 41 .…”

The Struggle to Balance Work and Family Life During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights Based on the Situations of Working Women in Delhi

“…Commuting to the office in a public or shared vehicle increased the risk of getting infected by the virus on the way to and from work. Working at the office made it difficult to avoid direct or indirect contact with colleagues, visitors and objects at the workplace (Uehara et al, 2021). Thus, the spill-over effects of tension and fatigue from the professional life to the family life and vice-versa may be of a much higher magnitude during the current pandemic and lockdown, making it difficult for women to strike a balance between the two (Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985; Grzywacz & Marks, 2000; Leiter & Durup, 1996).…”