Overworking Linked To A 2-Fold Increase In The Likelihood Of Depression

Main Category: Depression
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 26 Jan 2012 - 3:00 PST

email icon email to a friend   printer icon printer friendly   write icon opinions  

Current Article Ratings:

Patient / Public:not yet rated

Healthcare Prof:3 stars

3 (1 votes)


The odds of a major depressive episode are more than double for those working 11 or more hours a day compared to those working seven to eight hours a day, according to a report is published in the Jan. 25 issue of the online journal PLoS ONE.

The authors, led by Marianna Virtanen of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and University College London, followed about 2000 middle aged British civil servants and found a robust association between overtime work and depression. This correlation was not affected when the analysis was adjusted for various possible confounders, including socio-demographics, lifestyle, and work-related factors.

There have been a number of previous studies on the subject, with varying results, but the researchers emphasize that it is hard to compare results across these studies because the cut-off for "overtime" work has not been standardized.

"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", says Dr Virtanen.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our depression section for the latest news on this subject.
Citation: Virtanen M, Stansfeld SA, Fuhrer R, Ferrie JE, Kivima¨ki M (2012) Overtime Work as a Predictor of Major Depressive Episode: A 5-Year Follow-Up of the Whitehall II Study. PLoS ONE 7(1): e30719. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0030719
Financial Disclosure: The Whitehall II study has been supported by grants from the Medical Research Council, British Heart Foundation, Stroke Association, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, (HL36310), National Institute on Aging, (AG13196). Dr. Kivima¨ ki is supported by the Academy of Finland, (124271, 124322, 129264 and 132944), the EU New OSH ERA Programme, and the BUPA Foundation, UK; Dr. Ferrie is supported by the National Institute of Aging. Dr. Fuhrer holds the CIHR Canada Research Chair in Psychosocial Epidemiology. The funders have no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Competing Interest Statement: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
Public Library of Science
Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA
Public Library of Science. "Overworking Linked To A 2-Fold Increase In The Likelihood Of Depression." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 26 Jan. 2012. Web.
23 Feb. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240778.php>

APA
Public Library of Science. (2012, January 26). "Overworking Linked To A 2-Fold Increase In The Likelihood Of Depression." Medical News Today. Retrieved from
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240778.php.

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.


Depression

What Are The Symptoms Of Depression?

When feelings of sadness and being unable to cope overwhelm the person, so much so that they undermine their ability to live a normal and active life, it is possible that they have depression. Read more...

Most Popular Articles



Follow Our Depression News On Twitter

Follow Us On Twitter
Get the latest news for this category delivered straight to your Twitter account. Simply visit our Depression Twitter account and select the 'follow' option.



View list of all 'What Is...' articles »