Impact of working hours on depressive symptoms in working population: The mediating role of internet use
- VernacularTitle:工作时长对职业人群抑郁症状的影响：互联网使用的中介作用
- Author:
Zhouyan XIAO
1
;
Guanghu GUO
1
;
Min CHEN
1
Author Information
- Publication Type:Investigation
- Keywords: working hour; depressive symptom; internet use; mental health; mediation; cross-lag model
- From: Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(11):1342-1349
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Background In the context of China's rapid economic growth and social acceleration, long working hours are emerging as a key factor affecting well-being and contributing to depression. Objective To examine the longitudinal interaction between working hours and depressive symptoms, and evaluate potential mediating role of internet use in the relationship between working hours and depressive symptoms. Method This study utilized two waves of panel data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) collected between 2016 and 2018. It constructed a longitudinal sample of
4900 individuals aged 18-70 years who were employed with known working hours across various occupations. Based on survey data and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), we measured and compared working hours, internet use, and depressive symptoms. Pearson correlation analysis was employed to examine the associations among key variables. Through cross-lagged panel models and a semi-longitudinal mediation model, we examined the bidirectional interactive mechanisms between working hours and depressive symptoms, with a particular focus on revealing the mediating pathways of internet use and any group heterogeneity. Result The study sample comprised4900 participants, aged 18 to 70 years. Of these, 43.8% were male, and 77.35% were married. In 2016, the average working hours were (48.55 ± 22.17) h, and over half of the participants used the internet (59.84%). The average score on the depressive symptoms scale was (5.11 ± 3.78). The cross-lagged panel models revealed a dynamic interplay between working hours, internet use, and depressive symptoms. Specifically, working hours, internet use, and depressive symptoms in 2016 all positively predicted their respective counterparts in 2018. Furthermore, working hours in 2016 positively predicted internet use in 2018 (β=0.045, P < 0.001) and depressive symptoms in 2018 (β=0.027, P < 0.05), indicating that longer working hours were associated with an increased likelihood of internet use and worsened depressive symptoms. The half-longitudinal mediation models demonstrated a significant mediating effect of internet use in the relationship between working hours and depressive symptoms (effect size=−0.0013 , P < 0.05), suggesting that internet use may buffer the adverse effects of long working hours on depressive symptoms. The subgroup analyses of the half-longitudinal mediation model revealed significant mediation effects of internet use within the female and married female subgroups, as well as significant mediating pathways within the older adult and employment stability subgroups. The Panel Logit regression results indicated that internet use (high or low) was associated with a lower risk of depressive symptoms compared to non-internet use, positioning internet use as a protective factor against depressive symptoms symptoms among younger adults, those with stable employment, and married women. Conclusion This study confirms that prolonged working hours are detrimental to psychological health. Internet use mediates the relationship between working hours and depressive symptoms, effectively mitigating the psychological harm of long working hours. This mediating effect is particularly pronounced for women, especially married women.
