Night shift work, genetic risk, and the risk of depression: A prospective cohort study

Mar 28, 2024Journal of affective disorders

Night shift work and genetic risk linked to chances of developing depression

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Abstract

After a median follow-up of 12.7 years, 7,315 participants developed depression.

Shift work was associated with a higher risk of depression, with hazard ratios of 1.28 for those working shifts but never or rarely at night, 1.32 for irregular night shifts, and 1.20 for permanent night shifts compared to day workers.
Working more than 8 nights per month (HR: 1.40) and less than 10 years of night shift work (HR: 1.30) were linked to a higher risk of depression compared to never shift workers.
Individuals with high genetic predisposition who worked shifts but never or rarely at night had a hazard ratio of 1.49 for developing depression.
Those with high genetic predisposition and irregular or permanent night shifts had a hazard ratio of 1.36 for depression compared to low genetic predisposition day workers.
There was no interaction between genetic predisposition and night shift work regarding the risk of depression.

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BACKGROUND: Genetic factors and night shift work both contribute to the risk of depression, but whether the association of night shift work with depression varies by genetic predisposition remains unclear.

OBJECTIVES: To assess whether night shift work is associated with a higher risk of depression regardless of genetic predisposition.

METHODS: We used data from the UK biobank of 247,828 adults aged 38-71 free of depression at baseline from March 13, 2006, to October 1, 2010. Genetic predisposition to depression was assessed using polygenic risk scores (PRS) weighted sums of genetic variant indicator variables and classified as low (lowest tertile), intermediate (tertile 2), and high (highest tertile). Night shift work exposures were collected using a touchscreen questionnaire and were divided into four categories.

RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 12.7 years, 7315 participants developed depression. Compared with day workers, HRs (95 % CIs) of depression were 1.28 (1.19-1.38) for shift work, but never or rarely night shifts, 1.32 (1.20-1.45) for irregular night shifts, and 1.20 (1.07-1.34) for permanent night shifts. Considering lifetime employment and compared with never shift workers, >8 nights/month (HR: 1.40; 95 % CI: 1.19-1.66) and <10 years (HR: 1.30; 95 % CI: 1.09-1.54) of night shift work were associated with a higher risk of depression. In joint effect analyses, compared to participants with low genetic predisposition and day workers, the HRs (95 % CIs) of depression were 1.49 (1.32-1.69) in those with high genetic predisposition and shift work, but never or rarely night shifts, and 1.36 (1.20-1.55) for those with high genetic predisposition and irregular/permanent night shifts. In addition, there was neither multiplicative nor additive interaction between genetic predisposition and night shift work on the risk of depression.

CONCLUSIONS: Night shift work was associated with an increased risk of depression regardless of genetic risk.

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Night shift work, genetic risk, and the risk of depression: A prospective cohort study

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