A woman at work place. Photo Credit: Microsoft ClipartJanuary 27, 2012, (Sawf News) - A new British study has established that those working more than 11 hours a day face a 2-fold increase in the likelihood of a major depressive episode as compared to those working 7-8 hours a day.
The study is published in the January 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.
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