Women Who Work On Weekends Have Higher Risk Of Depression, Study Finds

They say if you work hard, you can play harder, but this is certainly not the case for most women. A study revealed that women who work longer hours a week have an increased risk of depression.

A study published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health found that women who worked 55 hours or more in a week, and those who worked most or every weekend could have depressive symptoms. With a data sample of 11,215 men and 12,188 women, they came across some interesting findings.

Researchers explained that the reason behind this is the fact that women are mostly responsible for domestic duties. Add more burden from work to the mix, and it’s certainly hard for an individual to handle, making them not only exhausted but depressed at the same time.

Gill Weston, a researcher at University College London and study lead author, said:

“This is an observational study, so although we cannot establish the exact causes, we do know many women face the additional burden of doing a larger share of domestic labor than men, leading to extensive total work hours, added time pressures and overwhelming responsibilities.”

Defining a standard working week as 35 to 40 hours a week, researchers came up with the following categories.

• Less than standard working hours: <35 hours a week
• Standard working hours: 35-40 hours a week
• Long working hours: 41-55 hours a week
• Extra-long working hours: 55+ hours a week

They also noted that women are more likely to work longer hours in male-dominated occupations, and those working weekends are more likely to work in low-paid service sector jobs.

Weston added:

“Women, in general, are more likely to be depressed than men, and this was no different in the study. “

He said that they’re hoping that the findings will encourage employers to reduce the burdens for women who world long hours, and increase support instead.