Insights From A Real-Time Survey During COVID-19 On The Dynamics Of Work-Life Balance, Well-Being, And Perceived Stress Of South Indian IT Professionals Contributors :

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19-imposed work-from-home (WFH) policy was an unprecedented work-culture challenge amongst Indian IT (Information Technology) professionals, witnessing the ferocious second wave of COVID-19. Hence, an online survey was conducted to assess WFH's real-time consequences amidst the pandemic on employees' mental health attributes (work-life balance, well-being, and perceived stress) and the related lifestyle factors in IT professionals from South India.

Methods and Materials: An online survey between May and June 2021 (second wave) accumulated 855 responses from the major IT hubs of South India. The variables included were the WHO Well-being Index-5, the Perceived Stress scale-4, and self-reported responses regarding work-life balance (WLB) and lifestyle changes (substance use, physical activity, dietary choices, and sleep quality) during and before the pandemic.

Results: Participants (aged 20-60) exhibited low well-being (48.77%) and high stress (72.93%) with no significant change in self-reported scores of WLB (before COVID-19, mean =3.88 (SD=1.1) vs. during COVID-19, mean =3.87 (SD=1.19), P=0.803). The latter could be justified by the almost sustained status of sleep quality scores (before covid-19, 3.48 (0.9) vs. during covid-19, 3.44 (1.02), P=0.218) and trends of positive behavioral adaptations [healthy dietary choices (43.7%) along with sedentary to physical activity transitions (22%)], negating the effect of increased working hours.

Conclusions:The observed decline in mental health indicators, such as low well-being and stress, among Indian IT professionals raises concerns about potential health risks. Meanwhile, findings on healthy lifestyle changes during the pandemic support the development of worksite and online wellness programs to improve mental and physical health outcomes further.