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Negative Effects On Shift Work

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Shift work which requires extreme time commitment outside normal working hours places great strain on the mentality of workers, specifically those working in careers relating to health or emergency services. This report will discuss whether shift work has a negative impact on the mentality of police officers specifically by investigating what shift work is, the difference between good and bad mental health, the effect shift work has on the mental health of employees and to prevent or treat these effects.
What is shift work?
Shift work is work which takes place outside the customary 9am-5pm day (Foundation, 2017). It is commonly on a rotation and can involve extremely early morning shifts, or evening-late night shifts (Ockenden, 2012). The average worker, can have a total of roughly 38 hours per week, however a shift workers week can be as extreme as 55 hours, in the case of doctors, although this does not stand for every shift work occupation. (Government, 2017). Multiple industries rely heavily on shift work (Government, 2017), some of these occupations associated include protective service (such as Police Officers and Firefighters), food preparation and serving, healthcare, and transportation (Foundation, 2017).
What is good and bad mental health?
Maintaining good mental health is essential to everyday living. A good mentality affects ones outlook on life and ability to function in everyday life. According to psychologist Martin Seligman good mental health boils down

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