Department of Public Health Sciences, UConn School of Medicine, S7313, Farmington, CT, USA.
Department of Medicine, UConn School of Medicine, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, S7313, Farmington, CT, USA.
Ann Work Expo Health. 2021 May 3;65(4):432-445. doi: 10.1093/annweh/wxaa131.
Mental health disorders are a leading cause of work disability and while the psychosocial workplace environment plays a critical role, working time characteristics are also implicated. We sought to examine the association between working time characteristics and mental health in a cohort of two unionized, full-time worker populations, correctional supervisors, and transportation maintainers.
Using a cross-sectional study design, we surveyed workers on working time characteristics across seven domains including length of the shift, the intensity or proximity of sequential shifts, the time of day, and social aspects of work hours including predictability, variability, control, and free time. Burnout symptoms (Oldenburg Burnout Inventory) and depressive symptoms (eight-item Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale) were assessed along with the psychosocial work environment and health behaviors. We used log-binomial regression models to estimate prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals after adjusting for age, gender, and company.
A total of 318 workers were surveyed. The majority (72%) of workers reported a fixed shift. The prevalence of burnout symptoms was higher among workers reporting more frequent shift intensity (working 6 or more days in a row) (PR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.31; P = 0.04). Low psychological demands and high worker social support were associated with fewer burnout symptoms, independent of working time characteristics. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was higher in workers reporting more frequent unpredictable work (PR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.35; P = 0.04) and was lower among workers reporting increased schedule control (PR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.77, 0.96; P = 0.01). Higher worker social support as well as sufficient sleep and adequate exercise were associated with fewer depressive symptoms, independent of working time characteristics.
Different working time characteristics were associated with work-related mental health (i.e. burnout) as well as general mental health (i.e. depressive symptoms). Work intensity was associated with the prevalence of burnout symptoms and the results suggest that the mechanism may be through the need for recovery from the psychosocial exposures of work. Both schedule control and predictability were associated with depressive symptoms and the results suggest that work-life imbalance and lack of recovery may be implicated. Comprehensive prevention policies that consider work organization along with the psychosocial work environment and work-life balance may help to improve workers' mental health.
精神健康障碍是导致工作残疾的一个主要原因，而心理社会工作环境起着至关重要的作用，工作时间特征也与之相关。我们旨在检查两个工会化、全职工作人群（惩教主管和运输维护工）的工作时间特征与心理健康之间的关联。
我们采用横断面研究设计，对 7 个领域的工作时间特征进行了调查，包括轮班时长、连续轮班的强度或接近程度、工作时间、以及工作时间的社会方面，包括可预测性、可变性、控制和自由时间。同时评估了倦怠症状（奥登堡倦怠量表）和抑郁症状（8 项流行病学研究中心抑郁量表），以及心理社会工作环境和健康行为。我们使用对数二项式回归模型，在调整了年龄、性别和公司因素后，估计了患病率比和 95%置信区间。
共调查了 318 名工人。大多数（72%）工人报告有固定轮班。报告更频繁的轮班强度（连续工作 6 天或以上）的工人中，倦怠症状的发生率更高（PR：1.15，95%CI：1.01，1.31；P=0.04）。低心理需求和高工人社会支持与较少的倦怠症状相关，独立于工作时间特征。报告更频繁的不可预测工作的工人中，抑郁症状的发生率更高（PR：1.17，95%CI：1.01，1.35；P=0.04），而报告增加日程控制的工人中，抑郁症状的发生率更低（PR：0.86，95%CI：0.77，0.96；P=0.01）。更高的工人社会支持以及充足的睡眠和适当的锻炼与较少的抑郁症状相关，独立于工作时间特征。
不同的工作时间特征与与工作相关的心理健康（即倦怠）以及一般心理健康（即抑郁症状）有关。工作强度与倦怠症状的发生率有关，结果表明，这种机制可能是通过从工作的心理社会暴露中恢复的需要。日程控制和可预测性都与抑郁症状有关，这表明工作生活失衡和缺乏恢复可能是其原因。考虑工作组织以及心理社会工作环境和工作生活平衡的综合预防政策可能有助于改善工人的心理健康。
