Option better than action? Autonomy over remote work, technostress, and mental health disparities in Sweden during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Having the option for remote work, even when unused, was associated with better mental health outcomes.

• The study examined remote work options and extents in relation to anxiety, depressive symptoms, sleep problems, and stress.
• The association held regardless of whether the option was actually utilized.
• This finding was derived from 3660 participants in 2020 and 2022 from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH).
• The result is interpreted as reflecting autonomy over work arrangements rather than the act of remote working itself.

Extent of remote work showed no consistent associations with mental health outcomes.

• Unlike the mere option for remote work, the actual amount or proportion of remote work did not consistently predict better or worse mental health.
• This was assessed across four mental health outcomes: anxiety, depressive symptoms, sleep problems, and stress.
• The analysis used Bayesian multivariate multilevel modelling.
• Data came from SLOSH participants surveyed in 2020 and 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden.

Technostress predicted mental health problems, with a stronger association for remote workers compared to on-site workers specifically for anxiety.

• Technostress was identified as a predictor of mental health problems across the sample.
• The association between technostress and anxiety was stronger among remote workers than among on-site workers.
• This interaction effect was specific to anxiety among the four mental health outcomes examined.
• The finding is framed within an extended job demands-resources (JD-R) model, where technostress represents a digital job demand.

Women reported worse mental health outcomes compared to men, but these disparities did not appear to be driven by remote work conditions or childcare responsibilities.

• Sex differences in mental health were observed across anxiety, depressive symptoms, sleep problems, and stress.
• Remote work conditions and childcare did not explain the observed sex disparities in mental health.
• Sweden's pandemic policy of keeping schools open may have mitigated caregiving-related stressors that could otherwise explain sex differences.
• The authors note the need for further investigation into explanatory factors behind sex differences in mental health.

The study used Bayesian multivariate multilevel modelling guided by an extended job demands-resources (JD-R) model to analyze predictors of mental health.

• The sample consisted of 3660 participants drawn from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH).
• Data were collected at two time points: 2020 and 2022, spanning the COVID-19 pandemic period.
• The analytical framework integrated remote work options, extent of remote work, technostress, sex, and childcare as predictors.
• Four mental health outcomes were examined: anxiety, depressive symptoms, sleep problems, and stress.

Sweden's unique pandemic policies, including keeping schools open, may have mitigated some stressors associated with caregiving responsibilities.

• Unlike many other countries, Sweden did not close schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The authors suggest this policy context could have reduced caregiving burdens, particularly for parents.
• This is proposed as a potential explanation for why childcare did not emerge as a driver of sex disparities in mental health in this sample.
• The finding is noted as a contextual limitation when generalizing results to other countries with different pandemic policies.