Loneliness in the Workplace Stacey R. Kessler
Overview The experience of loneliness was at the forefront of public health concerns even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Loneliness is associated with such serious adverse health effects as impaired cognitive function, elevated blood pressure, diminished immunity, and increased risk of early mortality. Despite these urgent concerns, our understanding of loneliness in the workplace remains inadequate. The proposed study will examine workplace factors that exacerbate loneliness. At the same time, we will also investigate how loneliness impacts employees’ productivity and engagement as well as their health behaviors such as eating and drinking habits, the prevalence of stress-related physical symptoms (e.g., upset stomach and heartburn), and sleep quality. We plan to use a daily diary design that will help us determine whether and how participants’ experience of loneliness in the workplace varies in real time and how this variation relates to their work and health behaviors.
32 | Summer Research Fellowship
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