A new United Kingdom study suggests that men and women who work on weekends may be more likely to develop depression.
Even though an increasing number of employees worldwide are working longer hours as more businesses operate 24/7, it is not clear how decreasing their "off-time" is impacting the mental health of the workers. This is noted by the researchers of the study in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
Triggering depression
The study team also noted that the data is sparse about the differences between men and women in the connection between work schedules and depression. For the study, the researchers examined nationally representative survey data from 11,215 men and 12,188 women working in the U.K. between 2012 and 2012.
Half of the women worked less than 35 hours a week, while most of the men worked longer hours. Only half of the women worked at least some weekends compared with two-thirds of the men.
Compared to those who were working a standard 35 to 40-hour workweek, men working less had shown symptoms of depression. Women, on the other hand, had a greater risk of depression only when they worked at least 55 hours a week.
Women who worked most weekends had more symptoms of depression than women who only worked weekdays. Men had more symptoms of depression shown when they worked weekends and when they disliked their working conditions.
Study leader Gillian Weston, a public health researcher at University College London, said that the results of their study show gender differences in the links between long and irregular hours and depressive symptoms.
Weston also said that there are a lot of social, economic, and health benefits to be gained from working in good jobs, so they do not want women to be excluded from the workforce. Instead, employers and family members should consider how they can be more supportive of those who work long or irregular hours.
The study was not designed to prove whether the timing of shifts or the number of hours worked every week might directly impact the risk of depression. Researchers also relied on workers to report their own symptoms of depression.
Even so, the results of the study suggest that employers should realize that long hours and weekend shifts may compromise the mental health of the workers.
Watson added that we all need to move from a culture of unrealistic demands and low rewards to one in which the workers are supported and valued, feel that they have control, feel that they have a purpose, and they are allowed sufficient time for leisure and recovery. This would benefit the workers, men, and women, and it can result in a better, happier, and healthier workforce, and it can also benefit the employer.
Long hours of working may take a toll on the mental health of the workers for a lot of reasons, including the potential to take away their time from social activities, rest and personal lives according to Sabir Giga, a researcher at Lancaster University in the UK who was not involved in the study.
Giga also said that women might also feel this burden more because they have more responsibility and more work to do at home, in addition to the time that they put in for any job outside the home. Workers may not be able to control their jobs or their hours and schedules as much as they would like, but people still may be able to take steps to reduce their risk of depression.
Taking care of your mental health
Giga advised that taking regular breaks, learning to say no, not over-committing yourself, and having some alone time can be good for your mental health. If you feel stressed out because of work, doing the things that you enjoy, spending time with your friends and family, and communicating openly about what you feel can help you re-energize.
