Melbourne: (The Conversation) Working from home has become a fixture of Australian work culture, but its impact on mental health remains debated.

A new study based on long-term survey data from more than 16,000 workers found that working from home boosts women's mental health more than men's.

Researchers analysed 20 years of data from the national Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, excluding 2020 and 2021 to avoid pandemic-related distortions. The study tracked workers over time, comparing changes in mental health with commuting patterns and work-from-home arrangements, while adjusting for major life events.

Findings showed that commuting affects men and women differently. Longer commutes were linked to poorer mental health for men who already had strained mental health, while no such link was found for women.

Hybrid working produced the strongest mental-health gains for women. Those who worked mostly from home but spent one or two days a week on-site saw improvements comparable to a 15% rise in household income, especially women with poor mental health. These benefits were not explained by reduced commuting alone but also by lower work stress and improved work-family balance.

For men, working from home showed no statistically significant mental-health effects, which researchers suggest may relate to gendered household roles and men's work-based social networks.

The study concludes that workers with poor mental health benefit most from reduced commutes and flexible work arrangements, while those with stronger mental health are less sensitive to work-location changes.