Sound Distraction and Mental Health in the Workplace: The Role of Coping Strategies

Guided by Person-Environment Fit theory, this study examines how perceived sound distraction and disturbance, coping strategies and personal characteristics relate to mental health outcomes in office environments.

Data were collected from two organisations (N = 214). Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the complex relationships between sound distraction, coping strategies, personal characteristics and a broad set of mental health outcomes.

The measurement model confirmed that three items loaded onto each mental health factor, which were strongly interrelated. Stressful mood was significantly associated with exhaustion (β = 0.57, t = 6.64) and fatigue (β = 0.21, t = 4.86) and also correlated with poor sleep quality (β = -0.59, t = -4.42) and disengagement (β = -0.34, t = -2.88). Employees reporting low concentration and poor sleep tended to feel more disengaged. Perceived distraction was negatively related to concentration (β = -0.67, t = -5.38). Disturbance from unintelligible background sounds was linked to higher exhaustion (β = 0.10, t = -2.99), whereas disturbance from intelligible speech showed an inverse relationship with exhaustion (β = -0.11, t = -2.63). Both disturbance types were strongly correlated and associated with increased distraction. Coping strategies were predominantly avoidance-based; notably, working more slowly than usual was associated with disturbance from speech (β = 0.18, t = 3.17), while trying to be quieter was linked to disturbance from unintelligible sounds (β = 0.28, t = 3.44). Greater effort was paradoxically related to higher fatigue (β = 0.24, t = 2.41) but lower disengagement (β = -0.098, t = -2.46). Noise-sensitive employees reported higher stressful mood (β = 0.19, t = 3.62) and were more likely to adopt avoidance coping strategies (β = 0.42, t = 6.88). The lack of concentration spaces and frequent individual-focused tasks amplified the distraction and disturbance.

The findings highlight the complex interplay among sound, coping and mental health. Organisations should reduce chronic noise stressors and, based on theory and prior research, encourage approach-oriented coping to mitigate long-term risks. Providing acoustically optimised spaces and interventions such as sound masking can improve person-environment fit and support employee well-being.