Shift Work and Individual Management

20-30% of individuals cannot cope with shift work, consequently they experience chronic sleep impairment, excessive daytime sleepiness and/or insomnia causing Shift Work Disorder. Adverse effects on healthcare shift workers in particular include higher sick leave, medical-errors, car accidents, physical and mental health issues. This thesis explored the demographic and lifestyle risk factors of SWD, the mental health consequences and evaluated the effectiveness of an individualized treatment program for SWD. Poor sleep hygiene was the biggest risk factor. Depression and anxiety were extremely prevalent but the treatment program didn’t significantly improve symptoms. More research is needed on mitigating and treating SWD.