Despite long working hours and high work pressure, entrepreneurs and the self-employed frequently boast high job satisfaction, Milena Nikolova writes in an article about her research for Washington-based non-profit organisation The Brookings Institution.

Using German survey data that tracks the careers of individuals over time, Nikolova studied the question of the relationship between entrepreneurship and mental health. She discovered that the autonomy and the interesting work that often come with being one’s own boss appear to have real health benefits.

"These findings support the “active jobs” hypothesis, which suggests that the combination of high job demands (work intensity, time stress, high workloads, conflicting demands) and high decision control (control and authority over work and possibility for growth and skill development) leads to favorable health outcomes. Thus, entrepreneurs, who are the embodiment of individuals working in active jobs, experience relatively high levels of health," Nikolova writes.

You can read the full article online here. Nikolova's paper, 'Switching to self-employment can be good for your health', was published in the Journal of Business Venturing this month.