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Published on: August 8, 2019
Adverse Impact of Nonstandard Working Hours on Mental Health: An Analysis Using Two-way Fixed Effects Model
Nahyun Kim1,2, Woo Chul Jeong3, Hyunjoo Kim2
1Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Ewha Womans University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Safety and Health at Work
|July 1, 2026
Summary
Standard working hours benefit mental health, while both shorter and longer hours negatively impact well-being. Specific subgroups like women and younger adults show higher vulnerability to adverse effects of nonstandard working hours.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Existing research on working hours and mental health shows inconsistent findings.
- This study addresses the need for a clearer understanding of the relationship between working hours and mental health outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the impact of working hours on mental health.
- To investigate how this relationship varies across different demographic subgroups.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Republic of Korea Welfare Panel Study (12th-18th waves).
- Analyzed 29,025 observations from 7,415 individuals.
- Employed two-way fixed effects models for causal association analysis, including subgroup analyses by gender, age, and employment type.
Main Results:
- Both reduced (<35 hours) and extended working hours (41-52 hours, >52 hours) were linked to adverse mental health outcomes compared to standard hours (35-40 hours).
- Depressive symptoms increased, and self-esteem decreased across all nonstandard working hour categories.
- Subjective well-being decreased with extended working hours, with stronger negative impacts observed for women and younger adults.
Conclusions:
- A nonlinear relationship exists between working hours and mental health, with standard hours yielding the most favorable results.
- Standard working hours are associated with better mental health outcomes.
- Tailored policies are necessary due to differential impacts across demographic groups.
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