Long Work Days Linked To Depression
Working excessive hours may make you more tired, but it has also been linked to being more depressive, according to a new study published in the online journal PLoS One, reports the Los Angeles Times.
English researchers studied 2,123 civil servants who worked excessive hours (about 11 hours per day) and assessed them for depression. The research team followed the men and women for an average of 5.8 years.
“Although occasionally working overtime may have benefits for the individual and society, it is important to recognize that working excessive hours is also associated with an increased risk of major depression,” said Marianna Virtanen of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and University College London.
Virtanen and colleagues found that working 11 or more hours per day was associated with a 2.3- to 2.5-fold increased risk of having a major depressive episode compared to those who regularly worked 7 to 8 hours per day. The link held true even after they adjusted for social and demographic factors, including smoking, alcohol use, and job strain.
Virtanen believes the association between long hours at work and depression may be due to conflicts between work and family, problems winding down after work, and increased amounts of cortisol — a stress-related hormone that, when over-produced by the body, can cause health problems such as lower immunity and high blood pressure.
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