Study presents evidence of the impact of people’s housing on their health and wellbeing
Nearly a quarter of households felt they were not living in a house that matched their needs during lockdown, says a study by BPS member Dr Emily Pattinson and colleagues.
17 February 2022
Dr Pattinson was among researchers who presented the preliminary findings of the study, exploring the link between people's homes and their psychological health and wellbeing, at a seminar this week.
The findings of a national survey and family interviews – which inform the study – show that 24 per cent of the 1246 families who completed the online questionnaire were dissatisfied with their home's ability to meet their household's needs.
Those living in smaller homes such as flats or small terraces, with fewer rooms and with little to no outside space were least satisfied.
Home working and home schooling during lockdown presented challenges, with 50 per cent of people dissatisfied with their home as a space for schooling.
However, the seminar heard that families had been extremely creative in adapting the space they had to improve their wellbeing and to mitigate some of these challenges. Researchers shared the example of someone who had used a drawer [pulled out] of a cabinet as a work station. Others created reading nooks under stairs or divided rooms using blankets nailed to walls to create a sense of privacy.
Other findings included:
- 71 per cent of people agreed lockdown made it more difficult to have time to themselves
- 51 per cent of people agreed that there was more familial tension during lockdown
- 52 per cent of people agreed that lack of time and space to themselves had a negative impact on their wellbeing
People living in flats, those working at home, families with children with special educational needs and those who identified as non-binary or female were most likely to feel that they did not have space to themselves.
Dr Pattinson was brought onto the multidisciplinary research study team, led by Professor Rosie Parnell, to provide insight from a psychological and behavioural perspective around child and family wellbeing. She said:
"Those working in the field of psychology are in a unique position to be able to use these findings to support families' wellbeing by exploring how their domestic space impacts them."
Professor Parnell added:
"The focus on the pandemic in this study is a snapshot in time but we are seeing a move towards blended schooling and working.
These shifts have implications for domestic space and wellbeing and we hope that the study findings will inform new ways of inhabiting our homes."
At Home with Children – due for completion in the summer – is being conducted by researchers from Newcastle University and the University of Dundee.
The study aims to provide an evidence-based framework which will be used to evaluate current domestic standards for new housing in the UK. In addition, it is planned to produce a toolkit for families to ensure the best home set-up to protect their health and wellbeing.