According to researchers, individuals who work rotating shift patterns outside the conventional 9 to 5 window are more susceptible to depression. A study conducted on over 175,000 British adults discovered that shift workers, such as nurses, security guards, and police officers, were 22% more likely to be diagnosed with depression compared to those working standard day schedules. Furthermore, they were 16% more likely to experience anxiety. Interestingly, the study did not find a higher likelihood of depression among self-employed individuals or those who routinely worked night shifts, in contrast to previous research.
The researchers suggested that night shift workers had adjusted to their altered lifestyle, reducing the severe fatigue that typically contributes to mental health problems. This adaptation likely played a role in their lower rates of depression. The study also found that shift workers had a higher prevalence of risk factors associated with poor mental health, such as smoking, poor sleep, and higher body mass index (BMI). These factors may contribute to the increased likelihood of mental health problems among this group.
It is important to note that shift work is a common practice, with over 15 million Americans, approximately one in five working adults, engaged in this type of employment. Previous studies have already established the negative impact of shift work on physical health, such as an elevated risk of heart disease, diabetes, and dementia.
To conduct the study, researchers utilized data from the UK Biobank, a comprehensive database containing genetic and health information on over 500,000 Britons. The data of 175,000 employed or self-employed individuals were analyzed, including nearly 28,000 shift workers. These participants, who were on average in their late 40s to early 50s, had been working their jobs for about 12 years and had an average workweek of 34 to 38 hours. Each participant was monitored for approximately nine years and asked to report any diagnoses of depression or anxiety.
Shift work was defined in the study as jobs requiring individuals to work outside the standard 9 am to 5 pm timeframe, including afternoon, evening, night, or rotating shifts. During the study period, 3,956 new cases of depression (2.3% of the total) and 2,838 new cases of anxiety (1.7% of the total) were reported.
The study’s authors attributed the poor mental health outcomes among shift workers to factors such as fatigue and lifestyle choices. They highlighted the higher prevalence of smoking, poor sleep, and obesity among shift workers as potential contributors to mental health problems. Previous research has linked smoking to depression, as nicotine dependence and withdrawal can trigger low mood. Inadequate sleep disrupts emotional regulation and increases stress levels, leading to a higher likelihood of depression. Moreover, a higher BMI can indicate an unhealthy lifestyle or emotional issues that drive overeating. The researchers also noted that shift workers often faced lower incomes and lived in poorer environments, further increasing their vulnerability to mental health issues.
However, the study debunked the common belief that night shift work specifically leads to higher rates of depression. The researchers proposed that individuals may gradually adapt to differing schedules over time, resulting in reduced fatigue and improved mental health. This finding challenges previous studies, which may have defined night shifts differently than the current study’s parameters. For instance, the Dutch studies defining night shifts as those beginning after 10 pm, while this study considered shifts between midnight and 6 am as night shifts.
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