If you are a workaholic, have depression or lack of sleep, this may be in the future, according to a new study.
O International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health reports that workaholics – described as people with “a compulsion or an uncontrollable need to work incessantly” – are twice as likely to be depressed and have a poorer quality of sleep than normal employees.
The international group of researchers examined the work habits of 187 French workers and found that people in jobs with high demands were five times more likely to be addicted to work.
AMID CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, UNITED KINGDOM RESEARCHERS EXHIBIT FOCUS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF THE ICU STAFF
This high-risk group worked, on average, seven more hours a week than their low-risk colleagues and was characterized by “the individual’s excessive involvement in work when it is not required or expected”.
Workers at high risk of job dependency were twice as likely to be depressed, while workers at low risk of job dependency were more likely to experience symptoms of anxiety.
The researchers also found that “sleep quality was lower in workers at high risk of dependence on work, compared to workers at low risk of dependence on work”.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP
The study may have implications for Americans, who are working longer hours amid the coronavirus pandemic.
According to a July study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, Americans worked an average of 48.5 minutes longer in the post-blockade period than before the pandemic.
The longest hours spent at work coincide with a free fall in Americans’ mental health. Only 76% of Americans said their mental health was excellent or good in a Gallup poll last month, down 9 points from 2019.