JOB promotion can harm your health and leave you substantially less time to visit the doctor, researchers claim in a new study.

Promotion produces 10 per cent more mental strain and leaves up to 20 per cent less time to visit the doctor in the event of illness.

Economics and psychology researchers at England's University of Warwick tested the assumption that an improvement in job status leads to better health due to an increased sense of self-worth.

Using data on about 1000 individual promotions from 1991 to 2005, they found no evidence of improved physical health after promotion. But they did find that people thrust into more senior jobs suffered significantly greater mental strain.

Researcher Chris Boyce said: "Getting a promotion at work is not as great as many people think. Our research finds that the mental health of managers typically deteriorates after a job promotion."