Working Long Hours Can Be Depressing, Truly

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/01/26/145912523/working-long-hours-can-be-depressing-truly?sc=fb&cc=fp

by Nancy Shute
January 26, 2012

Putting in a lot of of overtime can make a person more vulnerable to depression.

You might have guessed that. But now there are some hard numbers, thanks to a study that tracked the health of civil service workers in Great Britain.

People who worked 11 hours a day or more than doubled their risk of major depression, compared to colleagues putting in eight hours a day.

[...]

Working long hours also increases the risk of heart disease, and of decline in cognitive function, according to earlier studies by Virtanen, which also followed British government employees.

Still, it's worth noting that the population groups most at risk for major depression are women, members of minority groups, and people unable to work or unemployed, and those without health insurance, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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