TOKYO >> Thirty-five percent of workers who telecommute said it has compromised their mental health, according to a survey led by researchers at Keio University.

The online survey was conducted with 8,475 workers ages 20 to 64.

Of the approximately 21% of respondents who said they telecommute, half are doing so because of the coronavirus.

Of those home workers, 35% said their mental health has deteriorated as a result of having to work from home, 50.7% said it has no impact on their mental health and 14.3% said their mental health improved.

Of those whose mental state has worsened, 41.3% said it was difficult to separate their work and personal lives, while 39.9% said they weren’t able get enough exercise and 39.7% said they had difficulty communicating with coworkers.

Isamu Yamamoto of Keio University conducted the survey. He said teleworking can be difficult for those who don’t set boundaries between work and personal life.

“It is necessary to establish a rigid system in which work can be carried out in a planned manner, such as by setting working hours,” he said.