The discussion about the advantages of working from home compared to working in the office has become more prominent since COVID. Some people enjoy the flexibility of remote work, while others experience improved mental health when working in an office environment. A recent global study shows that having strong relationships at work and feeling proud of one's job are more important for mental health than typical work-life balance elements such as workload and flexibility.
Interestingly, office workers in India reported better mental health than those working remotely or in a hybrid setup. This contrasts with findings in the Americas and Europe, where hybrid workers reported the best mental health.
The study, conducted by Sapiens Labs in the US, surveyed 54,831 employed individuals with internet access across 65 countries in 2024. Bad relationships were found to be a more significant source of distress than high workloads. This report comes as India grapples with issues like heavy workloads and "toxic" workplaces, highlighted by the recent death of a 26-year-old chartered accountant in Pune. While the study confirmed that workload contributes to distress, it indicated that "work-life balance" factors impact mental health less significantly—about half as much as other factors.
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The report stated, "Colleague relationships and a sense of pride and purpose in work greatly influence mental wellbeing, regardless of job type." Poor relationships and a lack of pride at work were associated with feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and decreased energy and motivation. In India, which had a sample size of 5,090, the link between poor colleague relationships and mental distress was stronger than the global average. While globally, team workers reported better mental health than those working alone, the improvement in mental wellbeing with larger team sizes was notably greater in India.
Notably, only 13% of Indian respondents reported unmanageable workloads, lower than the global average of 16% and the US figure of 18%. The proportion of Indian workers with good relationships with colleagues matched the global average of about 50%, according to Tara Thiagarajan, founder and chief scientist of Sapiens Labs. On a global scale, workers in customer service and physical jobs had worse mental health than those in knowledge-based roles. The study assessed 47 mental health aspects to create an overall mental wellbeing score. "We define mental wellbeing as not just mood but as a holistic set of mental skills that help us tackle life’s challenges and function effectively," explained Thiagarajan.
The findings challenge the conventional divide between personal and professional lives. "Our relationships deeply affect our mental health and wellbeing, no matter the context. People want to feel valued and included everywhere," Thiagarajan emphasized, holding a PhD from Stanford. The data for this analysis is publicly available, and researchers hope it will enhance understanding of the work culture aspects that promote human wellbeing and performance. "Instead of creating mental health issues and later trying to address them, organizations should focus on nurturing mental health for high performance," concluded Thiagarajan.