Hostname: page-component-65b85459fc-k6zl8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-10-15T16:38:23.375Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The Impact of Night Shift Work on Mental Health Outcomes in a Tunisian Industrial Setting

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 August 2025

A. Chouchane*
Affiliation:
Occupational Medicine and Professional Pathologies Department, Farhat Hached Teaching Hospital, Tunisia, University of Sousse, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia
Y. Tebourbi
Affiliation:
Occupational Medicine and Professional Pathologies Department, Farhat Hached Teaching Hospital, Tunisia, University of Sousse, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia
M. Bouhoula
Affiliation:
Occupational Medicine and Professional Pathologies Department, Farhat Hached Teaching Hospital, Tunisia, University of Sousse, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia
I. Kacem
Affiliation:
Occupational Medicine and Professional Pathologies Department, Farhat Hached Teaching Hospital, Tunisia, University of Sousse, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia
R. Ghammem
Affiliation:
3- Service d’épidémiologie, CHU Farhat Hached Sousse, Tunisie
K. Hadj Mabrouk
Affiliation:
Inter-company occupational health services of the Governorate of Sousse, Tunisia, Sousse
I. Kanoun
Affiliation:
Inter-company occupational health services of the Governorate of Sousse, Tunisia, Sousse
B. Zendah
Affiliation:
Inter-company occupational health services of the Governorate of Sousse, Tunisia, Sousse
A. Aloui
Affiliation:
Occupational Medicine and Professional Pathologies Department, Farhat Hached Teaching Hospital, Tunisia, University of Sousse, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia
M. Maoua
Affiliation:
Occupational Medicine and Professional Pathologies Department, Farhat Hached Teaching Hospital, Tunisia, University of Sousse, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia
A. Brahem
Affiliation:
Occupational Medicine and Professional Pathologies Department, Farhat Hached Teaching Hospital, Tunisia, University of Sousse, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia
H. Kalboussi
Affiliation:
Occupational Medicine and Professional Pathologies Department, Farhat Hached Teaching Hospital, Tunisia, University of Sousse, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia
S. Mhamdi
Affiliation:
Service d’épidémiologie, CHU Fattouma Bourguiba Monastir, Faculté de Médecine de Monastir, Tunisie
L. Bouzgarrou
Affiliation:
Service de Médecine du Travail, Hôpital Haj Ali Soua Ksar Hellal, Faculté de Médecine de Monastir, Tunisie, Monastir, Tunisia
S. Chatti
Affiliation:
Occupational Medicine and Professional Pathologies Department, Farhat Hached Teaching Hospital, Tunisia, University of Sousse, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia
O. ElMaalel
Affiliation:
Occupational Medicine and Professional Pathologies Department, Farhat Hached Teaching Hospital, Tunisia, University of Sousse, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Introduction

The increasing prevalence of shift work, particularly night shifts, in modern industrial settings has raised concerns about its potential detrimental effects on workers’ health. Disruptions to circadian rhythms, sleep deprivation, and social isolation associated with night shift work have been linked to a range of physical and mental health problems.

Objectives

This study aims to investigate the specific impact of night shift work on the mental health outcomes of Tunisian industrial workers.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional study carried out during 3 years among active workers working in the inter-company occupational health services of Sousse. All participants had a fixed night work schedule. Data collection was based on a pre-established anonymous questionnaire. Job strain was assessed with Karazek questionnaire.

Results

A total of 453 employees were included in our study. Mean age was 32.12 ± 7.68 years. Half of the participants were women (52%). Sixty percent of participants were not married. Tobacco consumption was identified among 26% of the participants. The most affected sector of activity was the electronic one (63%). The average occupational seniority was 7.78 ± 6.407. Job strain was revealed in 23.4% of employees. High psychological demand was noted among 46.5% of cases. Low job control was identified among 57,4% of participants. Low social support was noted among 68% of participants.

Conclusions

These results underscore the need for targeted interventions to protect the health and well-being of night shift workers. Future research should explore the effectiveness of various strategies, such as scheduling modifications, workplace accommodations, and health promotion programs, in mitigating the negative impacts of night shift work.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Information

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of European Psychiatric Association
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.