Working for THIS long can jeopardise your mental health? Here's what new study reveals

For both physical and mental health, it is essential to strike a balance between work and personal life. According to recent studies, a person's likelihood of developing depression increases with the number of hours they spend in a stressful job each week. Working 90 or more hours a week was linked to three times as many shifts in depression symptom ratings as spending 40 to 45 hours a week.

Additionally, more people who work long hours scored highly enough to be classified with moderate to severe depression, which is significant enough to require therapy, compared to people who work fewer hours.

The research team from the University of Michigan used advanced statistical methods to mimic a randomised clinical trial while taking into account a variety of other different aspects of the doctors' personal and professional lives.

READ | Diabetes: 5 tips to maintain blood sugar level during Diwali festivities

Researchers found a "dose-response" association between the number of hours worked and depressed symptoms, with an average symptom increase of 1.8 points on a standard scale for those working 40 to 45 hours and increasing up to 5.2 points for those working more than 90 hours. Out of all the factors that affect doctors, they conclude that working long hours is a substantial contributor to depression.

After analysing 11 years' worth of data on more than 17,000 first-year medical residents, the team from Michigan Medicine, the academic medical centre of the University of Michigan, publishes its findings in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The recently graduated doctors were getting their training at many hospitals across the nation. The Michigan Neuroscience Institute and the Eisenberg Family Depression Center's Intern Health Study provided the data.

READ | Yoga for anxiety: These 5 Yoga asanas will help you deal with stress

Every year, as they complete their first year of residency, commonly known as the intern year, the initiative recruits recent medical school graduates to take part in a year-long surveillance of their depressive symptoms, work hours, sleep, and other characteristics. the effects of a lot of labour hours.

The National Academy of Medicine and the Association of American Medical Colleges, among other important national organisations, are debating how to address the high rates of depression among doctors, medical students, and other healthcare professionals at the time this study is published.

READ | Diwali 2022: Save yourself from asthma attacks through these tips during spike in air pollution

Although the interns in the survey reported a wide range of hours worked the previous week, 65 to 80 hours were the most typical range. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, which sets national standards for residency training, now restricts resident work weeks at 80 hours.

There can be variations, but this maximum can be averaged over four weeks. Additionally, the ACGME limits the number of consecutive days and the length of a resident's shift. There are mixed findings from studies on how these limits affect resident health and patient safety risks. The average number of hours that people typically work each week needs to be drastically reduced, the authors claim.

READ | Procedures for weight loss surgery made easier with new guidelines, know here

(With inputs from ANI)