BACKGROUND: Working the night shift interferes with the circadian chronobiological rhythm, causing sleep disturbances, fatigue, and diminished wellbeing, and increases the risk of serious disease. The question whether night work increases the risk of depression has not been adequately studied to date. METHODS: We carried out a systematic, broadly conceived literature search in the PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, and PSYNDEX databases and the Medpilot search portal on the topic of nighttime shift work and mental illness. RESULTS: The search yielded 5682 hits, which were narrowed down by predefined selection criteria to 11 high-quality longitudinal studies on the relationship between nighttime shift work and depressive illness. Only these 11 studies were subjected to further analysis. 3 of 4 studies on nighttime shift work in the health professions (almost exclusively nursing) revealed no association with depression over an observation period of two years. On the other hand, 5 studies on nighttime shift work in occupations outside the health sector, with observation periods of two or more years, yielded evidence of an elevated risk of depression after several years of nighttime shift work, but not in any uniform pattern. A supplementary meta-analysis of 5 of the studies revealed a 42% increase of the risk of depression among persons working the night shift (95% confidence interval [0.92; 2.19]). Psychosocial working conditions that have a negative influence on health partially account for these associations. CONCLUSION: Although there is evidence that nighttime shift work (at least, in occupations outside the health sector) does increase the risk of depression, this evidence is not strong enough to sustain a general medical recommendation against shift work for employees with depressive conditions. It would seem appropriate to address this question on an individual basis, with strong support from physicians and close attention to the deleterious psychosocial factors associated with shift work.
BACKGROUND: Working the night shift interferes with the circadian chronobiological rhythm, causing sleep disturbances, fatigue, and diminished wellbeing, and increases the risk of serious disease. The question whether night work increases the risk of depression has not been adequately studied to date. METHODS: We carried out a systematic, broadly conceived literature search in the PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, and PSYNDEX databases and the Medpilot search portal on the topic of nighttime shift work and mental illness. RESULTS: The search yielded 5682 hits, which were narrowed down by predefined selection criteria to 11 high-quality longitudinal studies on the relationship between nighttime shift work and depressive illness. Only these 11 studies were subjected to further analysis. 3 of 4 studies on nighttime shift work in the health professions (almost exclusively nursing) revealed no association with depression over an observation period of two years. On the other hand, 5 studies on nighttime shift work in occupations outside the health sector, with observation periods of two or more years, yielded evidence of an elevated risk of depression after several years of nighttime shift work, but not in any uniform pattern. A supplementary meta-analysis of 5 of the studies revealed a 42% increase of the risk of depression among persons working the night shift (95% confidence interval [0.92; 2.19]). Psychosocial working conditions that have a negative influence on health partially account for these associations. CONCLUSION: Although there is evidence that nighttime shift work (at least, in occupations outside the health sector) does increase the risk of depression, this evidence is not strong enough to sustain a general medical recommendation against shift work for employees with depressive conditions. It would seem appropriate to address this question on an individual basis, with strong support from physicians and close attention to the deleterious psychosocial factors associated with shift work.
Authors: Pınar Güzel Özdemir; Yavuz Selvi; Halil Özkol; Adem Aydın; Yasin Tülüce; Murat Boysan; Lütfullah Beşiroğlu Journal: Psychiatry Res Date: 2013-10-07 Impact factor: 3.222
Authors: Cody Ramin; Elizabeth E Devore; Weike Wang; Jeffrey Pierre-Paul; Lani R Wegrzyn; Eva S Schernhammer Journal: Occup Environ Med Date: 2014-09-26 Impact factor: 4.402
Authors: Yixuan Zhao; Alice Richardson; Carmel Poyser; Peter Butterworth; Lyndall Strazdins; Liana S Leach Journal: Int Arch Occup Environ Health Date: 2019-05-04 Impact factor: 3.015
Authors: Oxana Krutova; Aki Koskinen; Laura Peutere; Jenni Ervasti; Marianna Virtanen; Mikko Härmä; Annina Ropponen Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-07-03 Impact factor: 4.614
Authors: Meghan M Holst; Michael D Wirth; Anna Mnatsakanova; James B Burch; Luenda E Charles; Cathy Tinney-Zara; Desta Fekedulegn; Michael E Andrew; Tara A Hartley; John M Violanti Journal: J Occup Environ Med Date: 2019-05 Impact factor: 2.162
Authors: Rebecca Robbins; Michael A Grandner; Orfeu M Buxton; Lauren Hale; Daniel J Buysse; Kristen L Knutson; Sanjay R Patel; Wendy M Troxel; Shawn D Youngstedt; Charles A Czeisler; Girardin Jean-Louis Journal: Sleep Health Date: 2019-04-17