A new study finds a link between workaholism and mental health issues like OCD and depression.
By Macaela Mackenzie, Fitness Magazine
Chaining yourself to your desk and constantly checking your work email on the weekends as though your life depended on it—in other words, being a workaholic—has a whole host of negative impacts on your health. But according to a new study from the University of Bergen in Norway, workaholism might have a lot more to say about your mental health than previously thought.
Chaining yourself to your desk and constantly checking your work email on the weekends as though your life depended on it—in other words, being a workaholic—has a whole host of negative impacts on your health. But according to a new study from the University of Bergen in Norway, workaholism might have a lot more to say about your mental health than previously thought.
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In a large study published in the journal PLOS One, the team of researchers looked at potential associations between workaholism and psychiatric disorders like ADHD, depression, anxiety, and OCD.
They found that (perhaps unsurprisingly, considering their stress-inducing habits) workaholics scored higher than non-workaholics for all the studied mental health measures: 33 percent met ADHD criteria, 26 percent met OCD criteria, 34 percent met anxiety criteria, and 9 percent met the criteria for depression.
According to the researchers, the findings present a bit of a chicken or egg conundrum: Does working all the time cause these disorders, or are people with these mental health issues predisposed to adopt an intense work schedule? Since the direction of the relationship is uncertain, the findings underscore the need for further study.
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Regardless, we know that stress has been linked to serious health problems, like heart disease, so think of this as yet another reason to take that summer Friday. The researchers used seven diagnostic criteria to classify workaholic behavior, including regularly spending more time working than intended, deprioritizing hobbies or exercise in favor of work, and getting stressed out by the thought of not being able to work. If that sounds familiar, it might be time to cut back. And if you're experiencing any symptoms of the above mental health issues, seek out the help of a professional.
See more at: Fitness Magazine
