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Posted on Feb 22, 2012, 6 a.m.
People who work excessively long hours on the job may be at increased risk for major depression.
Previously, some studies have linked psychological distress, sleep disturbances, and cognitive dysfunction with routine overtime work. Marianna Virtanen, from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (Finland), and colleagues analyzed data from 2,123 civil servant workers, ages 35 to 55 years, enrolled in the prospective Whitehall II study (London, United Kingdom). The team found that those subjects who regularly worked 11 or more hours a day were twice as likely to experience a major depressive episode, as compared to those who worked seven to eight hours a day. The study authors conclude that: “working long hours of overtime may predispose to major depressive episodes.”
Marianna Virtanen, Stephen A. Stansfeld, Rebecca Fuhrer, Jane E. Ferrie, Mika Kivimaki. “Overtime Work as a Predictor of Major Depressive Episode: A 5-Year Follow-Up of the Whitehall II Study.” PLoS ONE, 25 January 2012.
