How physical home workspace characteristics affect mental health: A systematic scoping review.

Most studies measured people at one time point, so they cannot show which came first or that a workspace change caused a mental health change. Many studies had low methodological quality, and several used self-reported workspace and mental health measures. Almost all studies were done during the pandemic, when working from home was often imposed, so results may not fit current voluntary hybrid work. The review excluded grey literature, non-English papers, theoretical papers and reviews, so some evidence may be missing. Quality assessment and screening were subjective and done mainly by one author before discussion. The studies differed too much for the authors to combine results into a single estimate of effect.

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Do not read these links as proof that moving a desk, adding plants or changing lighting will improve mental health. Most included studies measured people at one time point and relied on self-report, so cause and effect were not tested.