Overwork Affects Not Only The Mind But Also The Structure Of The Brain

Working too many hours a week can affect not only your well-being, but also your brain structure. A study of health professionals showed that overwork is linked to changes in areas of the brain responsible for decision-making and emotions. This helps explain why people who are overworked tend to feel more stressed, tired and have difficulty thinking clearly.

Overwork, especially when it involves too many hours a week, is becoming a serious public health problem in the modern world. Working too much not only affects people’s quality of life, but also their physical and mental health.

According to the International Labor Organization, more than 800,000 people die each year due to long working hours, which shows the extent of the impact of this habit.

It is already known that overwork increases the risk of problems such as heart disease, diabetes, depression and anxiety. However, there is still much to learn about what happens in the brains of people who live this routine.

With advances in brain imaging technologies, such as those used in MRI scans, scientists can now see how environment and lifestyle influence the structure and function of the brain.

Recent studies suggest that constant stress and lack of rest, two common elements of overwork, can alter the way the brain is structured and connected internally.

This could explain why many overworked people have difficulty concentrating, poorer decision-making, and increased emotional sensitivity. However, little research has directly investigated how overwork physically changes the brain.

To better understand this relationship, researchers from Chung-Ang University in Korea analyzed brain scans of 110 healthcare workers, dividing them into two groups: those who worked long hours per week (52 hours or more) and those who worked a standard work week.

They used sophisticated imaging methods to compare the volume of different brain regions between these two groups. They also controlled for factors such as age, sex, and overall brain size to ensure that the results were reliable.

The results showed that those who worked longer hours showed significant changes in areas of the brain related to logical thinking, decision-making, and emotional control, functions that are essential for everyday life.

Specifically, the researchers found a 19 percent increase in the volume of a part of the brain called the left middle frontal gyrus, which is linked to executive control (i.e., the ability to plan, organize, and make decisions).

Changes were also seen in other areas, such as the insula and superior temporal gyrus, which are related to emotions and perception. The more hours people worked per week, the greater these changes were.

The image in red shows the significantly larger brain areas in the overworked group compared to the group with normal working hours.

In short, this study shows, for the first time in this level of detail, that working too much can literally change the structure of the brain. These changes occur in regions that control our emotions and our ability to think clearly.

While more research is needed to fully understand what these changes mean in the long term, the results reinforce the importance of healthy work policies and work-life balance to preserve the mental and cognitive health of workers.

READ MORE:

Overwork and changes in brain structure: a pilot study

Wonpil Jang, Sungmin Kim, YouJin Kim, Seunghyun Lee, Joon Yul Choi, and Wanhyung Lee

Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Volume 82, Issue 3, 1 March 2025

DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2025-110057

Abstract:

To investigate the effects of overwork on brain structure to better understand its impact on workers’ cognitive and emotional health. The goal was to provide evidence for the potential neurological risks associated with prolonged working hours. A total of 110 healthcare workers were classified into overworked (≥52 hours/week; n=32) and non-overworked groups (n=78). Brain volume differences were assessed using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and atlas-based analysis. General linear models adjusted for age, sex and total intracranial volume were applied, and correlation analyses explored relationships between weekly working hours and brain volume in regions with significant differences. Overworked individuals exhibited significant changes in brain regions associated with executive function and emotional regulation. Atlas-based analysis revealed a 19% increase in left caudal middle frontal gyrus volume in the overworked group compared with the non-overworked group (p=0.006). VBM showed peak increases in 17 regions, including the middle frontal gyrus, insula and superior temporal gyrus (p<0.05). Correlation analyses indicated a positive association between weekly working hours and brain volume changes in the middle frontal gyrus and insula. This study provides preliminary evidence that overwork is associated with structural brain changes, particularly in regions linked to cognition and emotion. These findings provide novel neurobiological evidence linking prolonged working hours to structural brain changes, emphasising the need for further research to understand the long-term cognitive and emotional implications of overwork.