WebMD Medical News Brunilda Nazario, MD Jan. 25, 2012 -- Working
11-hour days may seem the norm in this economy, but regularly
logging long hours can more than double a worker’s risk of
depression. People who routinely put in more than 11-hour days
more than double their chances of major depression, compared to
employees who typically work about eight hours a day, a new
study suggests. Long workdays take a physical toll on the body,
but there's been mixed evidence of their effects on the brain.
And little is known about the link between long work hours and
depression. This research looked at more than 2,000 British
civil servants who had no mental health problems when the study
began in 1991, and whose average age was 47. About six years
later, 66 cases of major depression were found in the workers
after they received mental health screenings. Men and women who
worked more than 11-hour days had a more than twofold increased
risk of depression, compared to public employees who spent less
than eight hours at th