Little research attention has been given to mental health issues arising from the lifestyle change of working from home in the Nigerian context. Likewise, research findings in the extant literature on mental wellbeing of employees working from home are mixed. Therefore, the qualitative study examines mental health issues among at-home workers in the Covid-19 era to serve clinical practice and intervention. Data were obtained from 106 employees in service organisations in South-western, Nigeria, using a questionnaire with closed-ended questions. Results showed that employees’ experiences reflected a range of relatively mild mental health issues such as fears, anxiety and some elements of depressive disturbances/symptoms with sex differences on some of their concerns. Findings revealed that employees are delighted about working from home because they feel protected from contracting corona virus and are able to stretch their work routine far into the day with frequent breaks. Respondents commonly reported that working from home was stressful/less productive and generated work-family conflict issues. They reported difficulties arising from inadequate equipment and challenges associated with communicating with co-workers and supervisors. The practical implications of findings for mental health, clinical practice and intervention are discussed.
Citation: Mojisola S. Ajayi & David. E. Okurame (2021) Qualitative analysis of mental health issues among at-home workers in the COVID-19 era: implications for clinical intervention, International Journal of Health and Psychology Research, Vol.9, No.3, pp.1-15
Keywords: COVID-19, Clinical intervention, Mental Health, Nigerian employees, at-home workers
