When Change and Stability in Work Location Matter for Psychological Distress: A Study of Workers Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Prior research has explored the consequences of the sudden transition to remote work during the pandemic. Less is known, however, about how the mental distress of individuals who changed work locations during the pandemic differed from that of those who consistently worked from home or consistently worked on-site, nor to what extent these differences varied across worker characteristics, such as gender and caregiving obligations. This study addresses these gaps using data from the Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel survey and a Stress Process Model framework. Results show that those who transitioned into working from home during the pandemic reported greater mental distress than those who consistently worked from home or on-site. This association was larger among women with school-aged children. These findings suggest that structural changes in work location during the pandemic were more strongly related to mental distress. Moreover, the finding that this distress was unevenly distributed by gender and caregiving obligations has important implications.