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Cited by 63Sleep and Work-Related FatigueOccupational Health and BurnoutWorkplace Health and Well-being

The Relationship between Working Night Shifts and Depression among Nurses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

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Okechukwu, Chidiebere Emmanuel, Colaprico, Corrado, Di Mario, Sofia, Oko-oboh, Agbonvihele Gregrey, Shaholli, David, Manai, Maria Vittoria, La Torre, Giuseppe·2023·Healthcare
DOI 10.3390/healthcare11070937PMC PMC10094007
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Abstract

Background: For many years, occupational physicians have debated whether there is a link between working the night shift and depression and other co-occurring mental health issues, with an emphasis on work-related, biological, individual, and environmental factors. We performed this systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the overall association between sleep deprivation and depression among nurses working night shifts. Methods: A systematic search was carried out across the electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception to 30 September 2022, for studies that reported a relationship between estimated night shift work and depression in nurses. The outcomes were measured using the odds ratio (OR) and matching 95% confidence interval (CI). The I2 statistic was used to assess heterogeneity. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation technique was used to evaluate the quality of the evidence, and the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale was utilized to assess the methodological quality of each of the included studies. We determined the overall relationship between working nights and the onset of depression. Results: A total of 20 studies were included in the systematic review. Furthermore, 8 studies were included in the meta-analysis due to their common use of the OR as an effect measure. The 8 studies gave an overall estimate indicating a statistically significant association between night shift work and depression among nurses (OR = 1.49 95% CI: 1.26, 1.76). The prediction interval for the overall estimate was (0.995, 2.231). This implies that the true OR in a future study would most likely fall within this range, with a 95% certainty. Conclusions: The outcome of this systematic review and meta-analysis showed a significant association between night shift work, the circadian and sleep disruption it causes, and the risk of depression in nurses. This demonstrates that nurses who work night shifts are at risk of developing depression.

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  • The impact of shift work on sleep and fatigue has been widely reported among professionals across multiple occupations, with negative effects often more pronounced in high-pressure, cognitively demanding occupations such as healthcare and emergency services.

    “The impact of shift work on sleep and fatigue have been widely reported among professionals across multiple occupations, with negative effects often more pronounced in those working in high-pressure, cognitively demanding occupations such as healthcare and emergency services roles (Courtney et al., 2013; Okechukwu et al., 2023; Sofianopoulos et al., 2011).”

    From Understanding the Occupational Factors that Influence Paramedic Health and Wellbeing (2024) · cites this paper as Okechukwu et al., 2023

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Okechukwu, C. E., Colaprico, C., Di Mario, S., Oko-oboh, A. G., Shaholli, D., Manai, M. V., & La Torre, G.
Affiliations
  • Sapienza University of Rome (IT)
  • Department of Public health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
  • Health Sciences Unit, Tampere University, 33520 Tampere, Finland
Corresponding author
Okechukwu, Chidiebere Emmanuel
ORCID
Venue
Healthcare
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2023-03-24
Volume
11
Issue
7
Pages
937
ISSN
2227-9032 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/healthcare11070937
PMC
PMC10094007
OpenAlex
W4360853457
Cited by
63
References
5
Citations by year
2026: 26 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 1
FWCI
2.67
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Healthcare (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • IRIS Research product catalog (Sapienza University of Rome) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Tampere University Institutional Repository (Tampere University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Occupational Health and Burnout
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Workplace Health and Well-being
Keywords
night shift work, depression, nurses, sleep deprivation, circadian rhythm disruption, mental health, occupational health, shift work

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