The association between shift work and depression in hotel workers

Abstract

BackgroundShift work is vital in hotel businesses as these businesses run 24 h daily regardless of holidays to accommodate customers. The number of shift workers in hotel businesses is expected to increase consistently and it is crucial to study the impact of shift work on hotel workers’ mental health. This study, therefore, aims to examine the association between depression and shift work in hotel workers. It especially focuses on investigating whether there is a difference in how closely these two are related depending on shift types.MethodsA survey was conducted with 768 hotel workers who worked at two first-class hotels in Seoul. Out of 659 respondents total (response rate of 85.8 %), 506 respondents were selected as the final research subjects, excluding 153 respondents whose responses were incomplete. The survey was composed of questionnaires related to general characteristics, work-related characteristics, shift work, shift type, and depression level. The Korean Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale was used to evaluate the subjects’ depression level. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted with depression as a dependent variable and shift type as an independent variable after relevant general and work-related characteristics were adjusted to examine the relationship between shift type and depression.ResultsAfter adjustment for relevant general and work-related characteristics, hotel workers had a significantly higher likelihood of belonging to the depression group than those with a fixed day shift, across all three shift types: rotating day shift (OR = 2.22, 95 % CI = 1.05–4.61), rotating night shift (OR = 2.63, 95 % CI = 1.11–6.24), and fixed night shift (OR = 3.46, 95 % CI = 1.02–11.74).ConclusionsThe results showed that shift work was significantly related to depression in hotel workers and the risk of depression clearly differed among shift types. In particular, fixed night shift workers were most vulnerable to depression. Rotating day shift workers without night work could also have a higher risk of depression.

Exploring the associations between shift work disorder, depression, anxiety and sick leave taken amongst nurses

“…This relationship is not restricted to the healthcare industry. It has previously been found in other industries, including oil rig workers (Waage et al., ), factory workers (Kaneko et al., ) and hotel workers (Moon, Lee, Lee, Lee, & Kim, ). However, previous research on SWD has been inconsistent due to the variability in parameters used to measure shift work‐related sleep impairment, such as excessive sleepiness, sleep latency, sleep duration and insomnia symptoms, making results hard to compare.…”

Circadian rhythm disruption and mental health

“…No association was reported between shift work and MDD in a French study 69 . If all types of depression are combined, then a clear association emerges between shift work and depression 13,[71][72][73] . A meta-analysis of 11 studies concluded that night shift workers are 40% more likely to develop depression relative to daytime workers 13 .…”

The relationship between sleep pattern and depression in Chinese shift workers: A mediating role of emotional exhaustion

“…For example, compared to those working regular daytime hours, three shifts workers are more likely to suffer from depression (Moon, Lee, Lee, Lee, & Kim, 2015;Waage et al, 2014). For example, compared to those working regular daytime hours, three shifts workers are more likely to suffer from depression (Moon, Lee, Lee, Lee, & Kim, 2015;Waage et al, 2014).…”

“…As well as implications for physical health, shift workers are also at risk of lower mental well-being. For example, compared to those working regular daytime hours, three shifts workers are more likely to suffer from depression (Moon, Lee, Lee, Lee, & Kim, 2015;Waage et al, 2014). This is likely due to the disruption in their circadian rhythms owing to their irregular sleep-wake cycle (Au & Reece, 2017).…”