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Long working hours and depressive symptoms: systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies and unpublished individual participant data

Author

Listed:
  • Virtanen, Marianna
  • Jokela, Markus
  • Madsen, Ida E.H.
  • Magnusson Hanson, Linda L.
  • Lallukka, Tea
  • Nyberg, Solja T.
  • Alfredsson, Lars
  • Batty, G. David
  • Bjorner, Jakob B.
  • Borritz, Marianne
  • Burr, Hermann
  • Dragano, Nico
  • Erbel, Raimund
  • Ferrie, Jane E.
  • Heikkilä, Katriina
  • Knutsson, Anders
  • Koskenvuo, Markku
  • Lahelma, Eero
  • Nielsen, Martin L.
  • Oksanen, Tuula
  • Pejtersen, Jan H.
  • Pentti, Jaana
  • Rahkonen, Ossi
  • Rugulies, Reiner
  • Salo, Paula
  • Schupp, Jürgen
  • Shipley, Martin J.
  • Siegrist, Johannes
  • Singh-Manoux, Archana
  • Suominen, Sakari B.
  • Theorell, Töres
  • Vahtera, Jussi
  • Wagner, Gert G.
  • Wang, Jian Li
  • Yiengprugsawan, Vasoontara
  • Westerlund, Hugo
  • Kivimäki, Mika

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This systematic review and meta-analysis combined published study-level data and unpublished individual-participant data with the aim of quantifying the relation between long working hours and the onset of depressive symptoms. METHODS: We searched PubMed and Embase for published prospective cohort studies and included available cohorts with unpublished individual-participant data. We used a random-effects meta-analysis to calculate summary estimates across studies.RESULTS: We identified ten published cohort studies and included unpublished individual-participant data from 18 studies. In the majority of cohorts, long working hours was defined as working ≥55 hours per week. In multivariable-adjusted meta-analyses of 189 729 participants from 35 countries [96 275 men, 93 454 women, follow-up ranging from 1–5 years, 21 747 new-onset cases), there was an overall association of 1.14 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03–1.25] between long working hours and the onset of depressive symptoms, with significant evidence of heterogeneity (I 2 =45.1%, P=0.004). A moderate association between working hours and depressive symptoms was found in Asian countries (1.50, 95% CI 1.13–2.01), a weaker association in Europe (1.11, 95% CI 1.00–1.22), and no association in North America (0.97, 95% CI 0.70–1.34) or Australia (0.95, 95% CI 0.70–1.29). Differences by other characteristics were small. CONCLUSIONS: This observational evidence suggests a moderate association between long working hours and onset of depressive symptoms in Asia and a small association in Europe.

Suggested Citation

  • Virtanen, Marianna & Jokela, Markus & Madsen, Ida E.H. & Magnusson Hanson, Linda L. & Lallukka, Tea & Nyberg, Solja T. & Alfredsson, Lars & Batty, G. David & Bjorner, Jakob B. & Borritz, Marianne & Bu, 2018. "Long working hours and depressive symptoms: systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies and unpublished individual participant data," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, issue 3, pages 239-250.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:espost:200145
    DOI: 10.5271/sjweh.3712
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    Cited by:

    1. Yesung Lee & Eunhye Seo & Woncheol Lee, 2022. "Long Working Hours and the Risk of Glucose Intolerance: A Cohort Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-11, September.
    2. Tenshi Watanabe & Jiro Masuya & Shogo Hashimoto & Mina Honyashiki & Miki Ono & Yu Tamada & Yota Fujimura & Takeshi Inoue & Akiyoshi Shimura, 2022. "Long Working Hours Indirectly Affect Psychosomatic Stress Responses via Complete Mediation by Irregular Mealtimes and Shortened Sleep Duration: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-8, May.
    3. Kamerāde, Daiga & Wang, Senhu & Burchell, Brendan & Balderson, Sarah Ursula & Coutts, Adam, 2019. "A shorter working week for everyone: How much paid work is needed for mental health and well-being?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 241(C).
    4. Ella Arensman & Cliodhna O’Connor & Caleb Leduc & Eve Griffin & Grace Cully & Doireann Ní Dhálaigh & Carolyn Holland & Chantal Van Audenhove & Evelien Coppens & Fotini Tsantila & Victoria Ross & Birgi, 2022. "Mental Health Promotion and Intervention in Occupational Settings: Protocol for a Pilot Study of the MENTUPP Intervention," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(2), pages 1-21, January.
    5. Sato, Kaori & Kuroda, Sachiko & Owan, Hideo, 2020. "Mental health effects of long work hours, night and weekend work, and short rest periods," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 246(C).
    6. Terhi Ravaska, 2023. "Do reduced working hours for older workers have health consequences and prolong work careers?," Working Papers 6, Finnish Centre of Excellence in Tax Systems Research.
    7. Ayako Hino & Akiomi Inoue & Kosuke Mafune & Mayumi Tsuji & Seiichiro Tateishi & Akira Ogami & Tomohisa Nagata & Keiji Muramatsu & Yoshihisa Fujino & on behalf of The CORoNaWork Project, 2022. "Association between Long Working Hours and Psychological Distress: The Effect Modification by Request to Stay Home When Sick in the Workplace during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-10, March.
    8. Ravaska, Terhi, 2023. "Do reduced working hours for older workers have health consequences and prolong work careers?," Working Papers 153, VATT Institute for Economic Research.
    9. Adovich S Rivera & Maxwell Akanbi & Linda C O’Dwyer & Megan McHugh, 2020. "Shift work and long work hours and their association with chronic health conditions: A systematic review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(4), pages 1-19, April.
    10. SATO Kaori & KURODA Sachiko & OWAN Hideo, 2024. "Personality Traits as Moderators of the Effects of Working Hours on Mental Health," Discussion papers 24048, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).

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