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. 2018 Jun;4(2):104-109.
Epub 2018 Apr 12.

Psychological Impact of Shift Work

Philip Cheng  1 , Christopher L Drake  1
Affiliations

Psychological Impact of Shift Work

Philip Cheng et al. Curr Sleep Med Rep. 2018 Jun.

Abstract

Purpose of review: Technology and globalization have been central forces driving the need for shift work. This review examines recent scientific developments that inform our understanding of how psychological process contribute to and are impacted by shift work.

Recent findings: Nascent research is beginning to expand beyond circadian misalignment to elucidate the phenomenology of shift work and the associated psychological impairments. Psychological processes and their interaction with biology are considered in the pathophysiology of shift work sleep disorder. Additionally, a review of the adverse consequences of shift work in the cognitive, emotional, and psychosocial domains are reviewed and discussed.

Summary: The phenomenology of shift work encompasses multiple domains of biopsychosocial functioning. As such, interventions to reduce the adverse impact of shift work may benefit from an integrated approach.

Keywords: Affective functioning; Circadian rhythms; Cognitive functioning; Shift work sleep disorder; Social functioning; Stress.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Philip Cheng and Christopher L Drake declare no conflicts of interest.

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