Exploring the mediating factors in the telework-mental health relationship: a cross-sectional analysis of the BELHEALTH study
🏠 Telework: a new way of working
Working from home—often called telework—has become much more common in recent years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many employees began working remotely, and the practice has remained widespread. In Belgium alone, roughly one-third to nearly half of employees teleworked during this period. As more people split their time between home and office, researchers are increasingly interested in understanding how this shift affects workers’ mental health and well-being.
🔍 What did the study investigate?
Researchers analyzed data from the BELHEALTH study, a large survey that tracks mental health trends in Belgium. The analysis included 2,323 employed adults aged 18–64. Participants reported how often they worked from home—never, monthly, weekly, or daily—and answered questions about their mental health. The study examined outcomes such as anxiety, depression, burnout (feeling exhausted by work), and work engagement (feeling motivated and involved in one’s job). It also looked at workplace factors that might explain these effects, including workload, emotional demands, autonomy, social support from colleagues, and opportunities to use skills.
📊 Key findings
The results show a complex relationship between telework and mental health. Overall, telework did not significantly increase anxiety or depression. However, employees who worked from home weekly reported slightly higher levels of burnout and lower work engagement compared with those who did not telework. At the same time, telework sometimes reduced stressful aspects of work—such as emotionally demanding interactions or conflicting job roles—which could help lower burnout in certain situations. These mixed effects suggest that working from home can both help and hinder well-being depending on the circumstances.
💡 Why this matters for the future of work
The study highlights that telework itself is not automatically good or bad for mental health. Instead, the way work is organized plays a key role. Factors such as having supportive colleagues, enough autonomy, and manageable workloads can make remote work healthier and more engaging. As telework becomes a permanent part of many jobs, employers and policymakers should focus on designing work environments—both at home and in the office—that support employees’ well-being, motivation, and productivity.
📚 Source: Bracho Montes de Oca EA, De Pauw R, Moerkerke B, et al. Exploring the mediating factors in the telework-mental health relationship: a cross-sectional analysis of the BELHEALTH study. BMJ Public Health (2026).
Available at: https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/4/1/e003249