Sunday, February 05, 2012

Study: Working too much may increase risk of depression

WASHINGTON: 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 published in
the online journal PLoS ONE.

The authors, led by Marianna Virtanen of the Finnish Institute of
Occupational Health and University College London, followed about
2,000 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 emphasise that it is hard to
compare results across these studies because the cut-off for
"overtime" work has not been standardised.

"Although occasionally working overtime may have benefits for the
individual and society, it is important to recognise that working
excessive hours is also associated with an increased risk of major
depression", Virtanen said in a statement. - Bernama

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