Long working hours and symptoms of anxiety and depression: a 5-year follow-up of the Whitehall II study

BackgroundAlthough long working hours are common in working populations, little is known about the effect of long working hours on mental health.MethodWe examined the association between long working hours and the onset of depressive and anxiety symptoms in middle-aged employees. Participants were 2960 full-time employees aged 44 to 66 years (2248 men, 712 women) from the prospective Whitehall II cohort study of British civil servants. Working hours, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and covariates were measured at baseline (1997–1999) followed by two subsequent measurements of depressive and anxiety symptoms (2001 and 2002–2004).ResultsIn a prospective analysis of participants with no depressive (n=2549) or anxiety symptoms (n=2618) at baseline, Cox proportional hazard analysis adjusted for baseline covariates showed a 1.66-fold [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06–2.61] risk of depressive symptoms and a 1.74-fold (95% CI 1.15–2.61) risk of anxiety symptoms among employees working more than 55 h/week compared with employees working 35–40 h/week. Sex-stratified analysis showed an excess risk of depression and anxiety associated with long working hours among women [hazard ratios (HRs) 2.67 (95% CI 1.07–6.68) and 2.84 (95% CI 1.27–6.34) respectively] but not men [1.30 (0.77–2.19) and 1.43 (0.89–2.30)].ConclusionsWorking long hours is a risk factor for the development of depressive and anxiety symptoms in women.

Download Full-text

The Impact of Long Working Hours on Cognitive Function: A Follow-Up Study with Gender Stratification

Journal of Alzheimer s Disease ◽

10.3233/jad-201404 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 80 (2) ◽

pp. 727-734

Author(s):

Seunghyun Lee ◽

Joon Yul Choi ◽

Wanhyung Lee

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Function ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Working Hours ◽

Gender Stratification ◽

Long Working Hours ◽

Cox Proportional Hazard ◽

Hazard Ratios ◽

Cox Proportional Hazard Regression ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship

Background: Recent studies have shown that long working hours can have adverse consequences on health and possibly trigger biological processes that mediate the relationship between long working hours and cognitive decline. Objective: To investigate whether long working hours and the overall duration such exposure is associated with a decline in cognitive function. Methods: Data obtained during the Korean Longitudinal Study on Aging (n = 2,518) during the period 2006–2018 were used to explore the relationship between long working hours and cognitive decline. Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) scores were used to evaluate cognitive function. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), which were used to evaluate declines in K-MMSE scores over the 12-year study period. Results: Overall HR (95% CI) for a decline in cognitive function in long working hours group was 1.13 (0.73–1.17). When categorized by sex, women with long working hours had an HR (95% CI) of 1.50 (1.05–2.22), K-MMSE scores decreased significantly after working long hours for 5 years (p < 0.01). Conclusion: The study furthers understanding of the effects of long working hours on cognitive decline among female workers. Further research is required to determine the effects of long working hours on cognitive functions.

Download Full-text

Effect of long working hours and insomnia on depressive symptoms among employees of Chinese internet companies

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-11454-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Xiaoman Liu ◽

Chao Wang ◽

Jin Wang ◽

Yuqing Ji ◽

Shuang Li

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Working Hours ◽

Small Scale ◽

Multivariable Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Full Time ◽

Health Questionnaire ◽

Long Working Hours ◽

Patient Health ◽

Internet Company ◽

Internet Companies

Abstract Background In China, long working hours and insomnia are relatively common among internet company employees. Considering that both can affect mental health, we examined their independent and interaction effects on these employees’ depressive symptoms (DS). Methods We analyzed data from the 2016 occupational health questionnaire survey conducted in 35 large-, medium-, and small-scale internet companies. Overall, 3589 full-time employees were recruited to evaluate the association among working hours, insomnia, and DS. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to assess DS. The association of DS (PHQ-9 ≥ 10) with working hours (≤40, 41–50, 51–60, and > 60 h/week), insomnia (with or without), and interaction of both was estimated using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results Compared with the group working for ≤40 h/week, the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for DS among participants who worked for 41–50 h/week, 51–60 h/week, and > 60 h/week were 1.32 (1.11–1.56), 1.74 (1.35–2.24), and 2.54 (1.90–3.39), respectively. The ORs for DS among those with insomnia were 2.36 (2.04–2.74) after adjusting for general characteristics. The ORs for DS related to insomnia were similar [1.91 (1.46–2.50), 2.00 (1.61–2.50), respectively] in the participants who worked for < 50 h/week. However, among participants working for 51–60 h or > 60 h/week, the adjusted ORs for DS substantially increased to 4.62 (2.90–7.37) and 5.60 (3.36–9.33), respectively. Moreover, among the participants with insomnia, working overtime showed a greater association with DS. Conclusions We showed that long working hours and insomnia are independent factors associated with the prevalence of DS; furthermore, an interaction effect of long working hours and insomnia on DS was observed. For relieving DS in internet company employees, it is important to reduce insomnia.

Download Full-text

Long working hours and depressive symptoms: moderating effects of gender, socioeconomic status, and job resources

International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health ◽

10.1007/s00420-019-01401-y ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 92 (5) ◽

pp. 661-672 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kanami Tsuno ◽

◽

Ichiro Kawachi ◽

Akiomi Inoue ◽

Saki Nakai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Socioeconomic Status ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Working Hours ◽

Job Resources ◽

Moderating Effects ◽

Long Working Hours

Download Full-text

Working Hour and Intention to Have Children in Hong Kong Full-Time Workers

Journal of Business Administration Research ◽

10.5430/jbar.v6n1p20 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 20

Author(s):

Fanny Yuk Fun Young

Keyword(s):

Hong Kong ◽

Working Hours ◽

Work Life ◽

Work Life Balance ◽

Full Time ◽

Life Balance ◽

Long Working Hours ◽

Prolonged Fatigue ◽

The Mean ◽

Working Hour

This study investigated the working hour, work-life balance and intention to have children of full-time workers in a place without Standard Working Hour legislation and with very low birth rate, Hong Kong. Method used a questionnaire survey with 200 below 35, married, full-time workers. Results showed these workers had longer working hour (49.3 hours/week) than many other places in the World (40 hours/week). Most participants (around 70 percent) reported prolonged fatigue level, sleepiness and extreme tiredness and did not have time staying with their partner and family. The mean intention to have children score was 2.045 out of 5. Correlation analysis was performed between working hour and intention to have children. There exist an inverse relationship between working hour and intention to have children (r= - 0.779). A plotting of the working hour against intention to have children showed some linear relationship between the working hour and intention to have children. Therefore, in general the workers with longer working hour were having lower intention to have children. To conclude, workers in Hong Kong, without Standard Working Hour legislation, had long working hours, poor work-life balance and low intention to have children.

Download Full-text

Relationship Between Long Working Hours and Depression in Two Working Populations

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine ◽

10.1097/jom.0b013e318250ca00 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 54 (7) ◽

pp. 868-874 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Takashi Amagasa ◽

Takeo Nakayama

Keyword(s):

Working Hours ◽

Long Working Hours ◽

Working Populations

Download Full-text

Predicting new major depression symptoms from long working hours, psychosocial safety climate and work engagement: a population-based cohort study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044133 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. e044133

Author(s):

Amy Jane Zadow ◽

Maureen F Dollard ◽

Christian Dormann ◽

Paul Landsbergis

Keyword(s):

Major Depression ◽

Work Engagement ◽

Psychological Health ◽

Safety Climate ◽

Working Hours ◽

Population Based ◽

Secondary Outcome ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Full Time ◽

Long Working Hours

ObjectivesThis study sought to assess the association between long working hours, psychosocial safety climate (PSC), work engagement (WE) and new major depression symptoms emerging over the next 12 months. PSC is the work climate supporting workplace psychological health.SettingAustralian prospective cohort population data from the states of New South Wales, Western Australia and South Australia.ParticipantsAt Time 1, there were 3921 respondents in the sample. Self-employed, casual temporary, unclassified, those with working hours <35 (37% of 2850) and participants with major depression symptoms at Time 1 (6.7% of 1782) were removed. The final sample was a population-based cohort of 1084 full-time Australian employees.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe planned and measured outcomes were new cases of major depression symptoms.ResultsLong working hours were not significantly related to new cases of major depression symptoms; however, when mild cases were removed, the 41–48 and ≥55 long working hour categories were positively related to major depression symptoms. Low PSC was associated with a threefold increase in risk for new major depression symptoms. PSC was not related to long working hours, and long working hours did not mediate the relationship between PSC and new cases of major depression symptoms. The inverse relationship between PSC and major depression symptoms was stronger for males than females. Additional analyses identified that WE was positively related to long working hours. Long working hours (41–48 and ≥55 hours) mediated a positive relationship between WE and major depression symptoms when mild cases of major depression were removed.ConclusionThe results suggest that low workplace PSC and potentially long working hours (41–48; ≥55 hours/week) increase the risk of new major depression symptoms. Furthermore, high WE may increase long working hours and subsequent major depression symptoms.

Download Full-text

Dietary patterns within educational groups and their association with CHD and stroke in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Netherlands cohort

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s0007114518000569 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 119 (8) ◽

pp. 949-956

Author(s):

Sander Biesbroek ◽

Mirjam C. Kneepkens ◽

Saskia W. van den Berg ◽

Heidi P. Fransen ◽

Joline W. Beulens ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dietary Patterns ◽

Educational Level ◽

Total Population ◽

Hazard Analysis ◽

Food Groups ◽

Cox Proportional Hazard ◽

Hazard Ratios ◽

Educational Groups ◽

Traditional Patterns ◽

Prospective Investigation

AbstractHigher-educated people often have healthier diets, but it is unclear whether specific dietary patterns exist within educational groups. We therefore aimed to derive dietary patterns in the total population and by educational level and to investigate whether these patterns differed in their composition and associations with the incidence of fatal and non-fatal CHD and stroke. Patterns were derived using principal components analysis in 36 418 participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Netherlands cohort. Self-reported educational level was used to create three educational groups. Dietary intake was estimated using a validated semi-quantitative FFQ. Hazard ratios were estimated using Cox Proportional Hazard analysis after a mean follow-up of 16 years. In the three educational groups, similar ‘Western’, ‘prudent’ and ‘traditional’ patterns were derived as in the total population. However, with higher educational level a lower population-derived score for the ‘Western’ and ‘traditional’ patterns and a higher score on the ‘prudent’ pattern were observed. These differences in distribution of the factor scores illustrate the association between education and food consumption. After adjustments, no differences in associations between population-derived dietary patterns and the incidence of CHD or stroke were found between the educational groups (Pinteraction between 0·21 and 0·98). In conclusion, although in general population and educational groups-derived dietary patterns did not differ, small differences between educational groups existed in the consumption of food groups in participants considered adherent to the population-derived patterns (Q4). This did not result in different associations with incident CHD or stroke between educational groups.

Download Full-text