The influence of overwork on residents’ depression risk during the COVID-19 pandemic in China

Combined with China Family Panel Studies data in 2020 completed during the COVID-19 pandemic, this article examined the impact of overwork on residents' depression risk and its mechanism. The results show that overwork will significantly increase residents' depression risk, and this result is valid after endogenous and robust tests. Heterogeneity analysis shows that overwork has a stronger positive impact on depression risk among young people, rural residents and highly educated talents. Quantile regression reveals that as the quantile of the depression level increases, overwork exacerbates the likelihood of residents facing higher depression risk. The moderation analysis indicates that Internet use intensifies the positive impact of overwork on residents' depression risk, while an increase in social status weakens the positive impact of overwork on residents' depression risk. The mediation analysis showed that overwork exacerbates residents' depression risk by reducing exercise frequency, lowering sleep quality and decreasing family interaction.