title: Overtime work as a predictor of major depressive episode: a 5-year follow-up of the Whitehall II study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The association between overtime work and depression is still unclear. This study examined the association between overtime work and the onset of a major depressive episode (MDE).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prospective cohort study with a baseline examination of working hours, psychological morbidity (an indicator of baseline depression) and depression risk factors in 1991-1993 and a follow-up of major depressive episode in 1997-1999 (mean follow-up 5.8 years) among British civil servants (the Whitehall II study; 1626 men, 497 women, mean age 47 years at baseline). Onset of 12-month MDE was assessed by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) at follow-up. In prospective analysis of participants with no psychological morbidity at baseline, the odds ratio for a subsequent major depressive episode was 2.43 (95% confidence interval 1.11 to 5.30) times higher for those working 11+ hours a day compared to employees working 7-8 hours a day, when adjusted for socio-demographic factors at baseline. Further adjustment for chronic physical disease, smoking, alcohol use, job strain and work-related social support had little effect on this association (odds ratio 2.52; 95% confidence interval 1.12 to 5.65).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Data from middle-aged civil servants suggest that working long hours of overtime may predispose to major depressive episodes.
authors.affiliation: Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland. marianna.virtanen@ttl.fi
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Virtanen
authors.forename: Stephen A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Stansfeld
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fuhrer
authors.forename: Jane E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Ferrie
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kivimäki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology*