Working long hours is associated with increased stress and poorer psychological health. Studies have measured stress using associative factors like smoking, self-reports, and depression ratings. However, comparing studies is difficult as individual differences and job factors like rewards and autonomy likely influence the relationship between long hours and stress. Some research found links between long work hours and increased smoking and drinking, while others found these factors are ambiguous stress indicators. Self-reported stress may be unreliable due to subjectivity. Overall, jobs with less control seem to correlate more strongly with health issues, and long hours are tied to lower well-being and increased stress.

1. The effect of working hours on Stress Arnab Paul

2. Studies have measured stress and psychological health by associative measures such as smoking, by self-report and by looking at depression and this affects how easy it is to compare studies. Individual differences and other factors such as job rewards and choice are likely to play a large role in mediating the long working hours .– stress relationship

3. Stress measured by associative measures These studies appear to provide tentative support for a link between long hours and stress Raggatt(1991) investigated work stress among a sample of Australian long distance coach drivers, driving hours (50 hours or more per week) were the best predictor of maladaptive behaviour such as stimulant use. Maladaptive behaviours then predicted stress. Maruyama and Morimoto (1996) surveyed around 6,500 Japanese male managers. They found daily long hours were significantly related to poor lifestyle habits such as drinking and smoking Weinberg, A & Cooper,CL2003 found that the MPs working long hours reported increased levels of these associative factor Kodzet al (2001) however concluded that drinking and smoking are equivocal evidence for stress as a result of long working hours

4. Self reported stress Bliese and Halveson (1996) surveyed 7,382 army personnel and found that there was a significant relationship between long hours and lower well-being. Kirkaldy et al (1997) surveyed 2,500 medical and dental practitioners in Germany. Results suggested that those physicians working over 48 hours per week reported higher levels of job-related stress than those working less than 48 hours per week. (Smith et al., 1999) found that working at night, on unsociable or unpredictable hours or for long hours all had significant associations with high levels of perceived work-related stress A postal questionnaire survey of 4,135 randomly selected people in the Bristol area ( Self-reported stress as a general measure, is often regarded as less useful than clinical measurement of health outcomes in terms of establishing clear relationships, as it is by nature a subjective measure and may be subject to over- or under-reporting (Spurgeon and Harrington, 1989).

5. Some research points to the view that jobs which generally have less control and autonomy are more likely to be associated with health complaints (Dhondt, 1997).

6. Conceptual model Schuster M, Rhodes S. The impact of overtime work on stress & industrial accident rates. IndRel 1985;24:234–46.

7. Working long hours does seem to be associated with stress and poorer psychological health outcomes. Studies have measured stress and psychological health by associative measures such as smoking, by self- report and by looking at depression and this affects how easy it is to compare studies. Individual differences and other factors such as job rewards and choice are likely to play a large role in mediating the long working hours .– stress relationship

8. British workers are suffering physical pain as well as stress from working long hours.The chartered Society of PhysiotherapyJune 10, 2010-06-15