Even while they are working, people with a work addiction typically feel worse than their coworkers. A study that was released in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology leads to this conclusion. Professor Cristian Balducci of the University of Bologna's Department for Life Quality Studies carried out the study in cooperation with Prof Paola Spagnoli of the University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli" and Dr Luca Menghini of the University of Trento.
Prof. Balducci explains, “The negative mood observed in workaholics may indicate elevated daily stress levels and that could be the cause of the higher risk for these individuals to develop burnout and cardiovascular problems. Furthermore, considering that workaholics often hold positions of responsibility, their negative mood could readily influence that of colleagues and co-workers. This poses a risk that organisations should seriously consider, intervening to discourage behaviors that contribute to workaholism.”
In the survey, 139 full-time employees participated, the majority of whom worked in back office tasks. First, the individuals' degree of work reliance was evaluated using a psychological exam.
Prof. Balducci said, “The collected data show that the most workaholic workers have on average a worse mood than the others. So, it does not appear to be true that people who are addicted to work derive more pleasure from their work activity; quite the opposite, the results seem to confirm that, as in other forms of behavioural and substance addiction, the initial euphoria gives way to a negative emotional state that pervades the person even while at work.”
