Saúde mental no home office: impactos e estratégias de avaliação

Abstract

Scientific research shows that productivity increased when workers began working from home, providing greater balance between work activities and personal life, as well as reducing organizational conflicts. This mode of work has been widely disseminated in contemporary times thanks to communication technology. The Industrial Revolution clearly defined the workplace as the factory, but new technologies enable work activities to be performed across different times and spaces. Despite technological advancements, the mindset of control over workers persists, even in the remote model. Working from home often extends working hours beyond the contracted schedule, as workers are always available. Given the various meanings and implications of home office work, questioning and understanding its direct impact on workers' mental health is essential. Furthermore, it is important to identify the instruments available in the literature that assess the risk of mental illness in the home office modality. The study aims to systematize, based on the information available in the literature, the articles published on the effects of the home office on workers' mental health, as well as to map the instruments developed and/or adapted, validated in Brazil, that evaluate mental health in this context. An integrative review methodology was used, and a mapping of evidence and gaps regarding validated instruments in Brazil that relate mental health and home office was conducted. More than a simple change in the workplace, the home office represents a complex transformation that demands attention from both organizational and family perspectives. Its impacts encompass not only working conditions but also personal relationships and mental health. While it offers benefits, it also poses challenges. The mapping revealed the absence of specific psychometric instruments to assess mental health in the home office context, with existing tests focusing only on in-person work.