Long Working Hours, Work-life Imbalance, and Poor Mental Health: A Cross-sectional Mediation Analysis Based on the Sixth Korean Working Conditions Survey, 2020-2021.

ABSTRACT:

Background

There has been growing concern about the negative mental health impact of long working hours and overwork. Our study examined how work-life imbalance (WLI) could be a mediator between working hours and poor mental well-being.

Methods

We included 34,968 individuals from a nationwide cross-sectional survey in Korea. Self-reported working hours per week were collected, and mental health was assessed using the World Health Organization (WHO)-5 Well-Being Index. Counterfactual-based mediation models were employed to disentangle the total effects into a direct effect (work hour - poor mental health) and an indirect effect (work hour - WLI - poor mental health).

Results

Out of 34,968 participants, 52.6% worked 35-40 hours/week, 20.0% worked 41-48 hours/week, 11.7%

SUBMITTER: Baek SU 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11464851 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature