Workaholics, on average, maintain a negative mood throughout the day.
- People addicted to work are, on average, in a worse mood than employees.
- The link between work addiction and poor mood was actually more pronounced among women than men.
- “Negative mood may indicate high daily stress levels and this could be the cause of a higher risk of developing burnout and cardiovascular problems.”
Some people are overly involved in their work and then become addicted to it over time without even realizing it. According to the National Institute for Research and Safety (INRS), this addiction, which is difficult to spot, sometimes has serious consequences for those around them, but also on physical and psychological well-being. Yet, “the affective experience of workaholics and their emotional reactivity to occupational stressors have been little studied”, Italian researchers said. So, they decided to carry out a study whose results were published in the journal Journal of Occupational Health Psychology.
Workaholic women are in worse moods than men
To carry out their research, the scientists recruited 139 employees who worked full time. Participants had to complete a psychological test to assess their level of work dependence. Next, the team analyzed workers’ moods and perceptions of workload using a technique known as the “experience sampling method.” This was done using an app installed on volunteers’ phones, which allowed them to answer short questionnaires approximately every 90 minutes, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., for three days (Monday, Wednesday and Friday). .
According to the results, workaholics are, on average, in a worse mood than others. This was more pronounced among women. “It therefore does not seem true that people addicted to work derive more pleasure from their professional activity. On the contrary, the results seem to confirm that, as in other forms of behavioral and substance dependence, the initial euphoria leads to a negative emotional state that invades the person even at work”explained Cristian Balducci, author of the study in a statement.
“Workaholism”: a higher risk of burnout for workaholics
Researchers also noted that people addicted to work were in a bad mood throughout the day, “without changes attributed to the passage of time or fluctuations in workload.” A decrease in mood reactivity to external stimuli involves a noticeable emotional flattening, a phenomenon well recognized in other types of addictions. According to Luca Menghini, who participated in the research, this could stem from the workaholic’s inability to moderate his investment, leading to a significant decrease in experiences of disconnection and recovery.
“The negative mood observed in workaholics may indicate high daily stress levels and this could be the cause of a higher risk for these individuals to develop burnout and cardiovascular problems. Mood could easily influence that of colleagues and collaborators. This poses a risk that companies should seriously consider, by intervening to discourage behaviors that promote work addiction.” concluded Cristian Balducci.
