Isolated and Stressed? Examining the Effects of Management Communication in Alleviating Mental Health Symptoms during COVID-19.

Abstract

The goal of this research was to assess the role of professional isolation on mental health symptoms via stress among employees working remotely due to COVID-19. Additionally, this research explored the interactive effect of management communication on the relationship between professional isolation and stress, and stress and mental health symptoms. In Study 1, behavior analysts who were working remotely as a result of the pandemic completed assessments of professional isolation, stress, and mental health symptoms at two points in time, separated by two weeks. Study 2 replicated and extended the findings from Study 1 in a sample of remote employees recruited from Amazon's Mechanical Turk using a three-wave design. Findings of both Study 1 and Study 2 suggested that stress mediated the relationship between professional isolation and mental health symptoms. Additionally, management communication buffered the association between stress and mental health symptoms in Study 2. Lastly, the indirect effect of professional isolation on mental health symptoms was stronger for those who received less communication from their management. The findings of these two studies expand our understanding of the mechanism and boundary condition through which professional isolation is related to mental health symptoms.