TElewoRk-RelAted Stress (TERRA), Psychological and Physical Strain of Working From Home During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

Background: Many workers shifted to working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This review aims to investigate if this sudden change caused an increase in TElewoRk-RelAted stress (TERRA) which is defined as physical and mental stress caused by telework. Methods: A systematic review using the Pr...

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Published in:AAOHN journal 2023-02, Vol.71 (2), p.58-67
Main Authors: Gualano, Maria Rosaria, Santoro, Paolo Emilio, Borrelli, Ivan, Rossi, Maria Francesca, Amantea, Carlotta, Daniele, Alessandra, Moscato, Umberto
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
COVID-19
COVID-19 - prevention & control
Emotions
Female
Humans
Literature reviews
Occupational Diseases
Occupational Health
Occupational Stress
Pandemics
Psychological factors
Psychological stress
Quality assessment
Quality control
Reviews
Stress
Stress, Psychological
Systematic review
Technical services
Telecommuting
Teleworking
Workers
Workplace
Workplaces
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Summary:Background: Many workers shifted to working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This review aims to investigate if this sudden change caused an increase in TElewoRk-RelAted stress (TERRA) which is defined as physical and mental stress caused by telework. Methods: A systematic review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines was performed of three scientific databases (PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge, and Scopus), which also included a quality assessment. Articles measuring stress, psychological or physical, in remote workers, published from December 2019 through August 2021 were included in the review. Results were extracted by reporting: authors, country, study design, type of workers, sample, questionnaires and measurements, and outcomes. Data were synthesized quantitatively for country, type of workers, and outcomes. Results: Out of the 518 articles found in the three databases, 19 articles were included in the systematic review (10,012 participants overall), and 78.9% of these highlighted an increase in TERRA levels in remote workers. Among 85.7% of the studies considering gender as a variable, TERRA levels were higher in female workers. Twelve (63.2%) of the studies investigated psychological well-being, two (10.5%) focused on the physical well-being of remote workers, three (15.8%) investigated both, and two studies had other outcomes (10.5%). Conclusions: Considering the redefinition of workplaces dictated by the COVID-19 pandemic, this review highlights the emerging issue of remote work and the use of technology in working from home, emphasizing a rapidly growing occupational health problem. Remote workers need to be provided with emotional and technical support to prevent TERRA in remote workers.
ISSN:2165-0799
2165-0969
DOI:10.1177/21650799221119155