Development of a work addiction scale

Andreassen, C. S., Griffiths, M. D., Hetland, J. & Pallesen, S. (2012). Development of a work addiction scale. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 53, 265–272. Research into excessive work has gained increasing attention over the last 20 years. Terms such as “workaholism,”“work addiction” and “excessive work” have been used interchangeably. Given the increase in empirical research, this study presents the development of the Bergen Work Addiction Scale (BWAS), a new psychometrically validated scale for the assessment of work addiction. A pool of 14 items, with two reflecting each of seven core elements of addiction (i.e., salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict, relapse, and problems) was initially constructed. The items were then administered to two samples, one recruited by a web survey following a television broadcast about workaholism (n = 11,769) and one comprising participants in the second wave of a longitudinal internet‐based survey about working life (n = 368). The items with the highest corrected item‐total correlation from within each of the seven addiction elements were retained in the final scale. The assumed one‐factor solution of the refined seven‐item scale was acceptable (root mean square error of approximation = 0.077, Comparative Fit Index = 0.96, Tucker‐Lewis Index = 0.95) and the internal reliability of the two samples were 0.84 and 0.80, respectively. The scores of the BWAS converged with scores on other workaholism scales, except for a Work Enjoyment subscale. A suggested cut‐off for categorization of workaholics showed good discriminative ability in terms of working hours, leadership position, and subjective health complaints. It is concluded that the BWAS has good psychometric properties.     

Assessing Life Balance and Work Addiction in High‐Pressure,High‐Demand Careers

Life balance is indicative of creating and sustaining a meaningful and satisfying quality of living. Contrarily, work addiction is overinvesting in work‐related behaviors, thereby truncating important life‐balance domains. Given a growing body of literature specific to life balance and the increasing incidence of work addiction and burnout among professionals, the authors evaluated life balance and work addiction among 409 professionals in high‐pressure, high‐demand careers. A strong relationship between life‐balance domains and the propensity toward work addiction was noted. Specifically, stress/anxiety and sleep disturbances were identified as work addiction indicators reducing perceptions of life balance. Counselors should assess these critical domains with clients working in high‐pressure, high‐demand careers and be prepared to support these professionals as they restructure their lives to improve life‐balance domains.     

Evaluating the fakability of a conditional reasoning test of addiction proneness

The quest to assess personality objectively is riddled with challenges. However, conditional reasoning (CR) methodology takes an innovative approach to personality measurement by indirectly evaluating the cognitive biases associated with specific dispositional traits. In addition to demonstrating strong criterion‐related validities, the CR format has been shown to be more resistant to response distortion than traditional self‐report measures so long as indirect measurement is maintained. The present study evaluated the necessity of maintaining the indirect nature of a CR‐based measure of addiction proneness. Results indicated that disclosing the purpose of assessment yielded significant mean shifts on a CR‐based measure of addiction proneness compared to those of an uninformed group. Specifically, when the construct of interest was made explicit, participants could identify the keyed response options when instructed to do so. These findings further underscore the necessity of maintaining indirect measurement when administering CR measures.     

Health-Related Quality of Life and Adaptive Behaviors of Adolescents with Sickle Cell Disease: Stress Processing Moderators

The objective of this study was to examine resilience among adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD), focusing on the interaction of health-related quality of life with stress processing to explain adaptive behavior. Forty-four adolescents with SCD completed paper-and-pencil measures of health-related quality of life, appraisals (hope), pain coping strategies (e.g. adherence), and adaptive behavior. Self-reported health-related quality of life was significantly associated with adaptive behavior, as was adherence. Findings for moderation were mixed. Pain coping strategies moderated the association of health-related quality of life with adaptive behavior such that at lower levels of Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ) Adherence, better quality of life was associated with higher adaptive behavior. Similarly, at higher levels of hope, better quality of life was associated with higher adaptive behavior, and poorer quality of life was associated with lower adaptive behavior. Adolescents with SCD showed resilience, particularly in terms of personal adjustment, that may be explained by their appraisals and stress processing strategies. Interventions to support an optimistic or hopeful outlook and improve adherence to recommendations for medical management of sickle cell pain may result in improved resilience/adaptive behavior.     

Le travail nomade,médiatisé et informel : influence de l’approbation sociale perçue et effets sur les addictions au travail et à Internet

Our study aims to clarify the nature of relationships between the social approval coming from personal surroundings, the mediatized and informal nomadic work modes and addictions to work (workaholism) and Internet. Many studies have showed the fact that workers adapt their working hours or workplaces when their relatives disapprove distant work practices. Other studies highlight the risk for health generated by mediatized and distant work. Data collected from a sample of 231 French workers in nomadic, mediatized and informal work situations indicate that perceived social approval significantly influences the modalities of these situations, which in turn affect the levels of work and technology addiction.     

The role of ultrarunning in drug and alcohol addiction recovery: An autobiographic study of athlete journeys

PurposeThere is contentious understanding of the role of sport in adult recreational drug and alcohol addiction recovery. This study explored athlete autobiographies as cultural sites of analysis in relation to the role that one sport (i.e., ultrarunning) plays in addiction recovery capital pathways.DesignWorking at the intersection of an autobiographical approach grounded in relativist narrative inquiry, a social constructionist narrative thematic analysis was conducted of two autobiographies--Catra Corbett and Carlie Engle—about addiction recovery through ultrarunning (i.e., distances of 43 km or more). The narratives used to construct life transformation and recovery capital in relation to ultrarunning were centralized in the analysis using Frank’s (2013) work on illness narratives and the body.ResultsTwo narrative themes threaded athletes’ addiction recovery journeys: chaos narrative and quest narrative. Two sub-themes related to fluid identity transformation intertwined with ultrarunning were identified within these narratives: 1. ‘addict-runner’ (chaos) and 2. ‘addict runner to ultra-runner’ (quest). Nuanced meanings of suffering were connected to identity transformation and running and two forms of addiction recovery capital: human (e.g., psychological adjustment, life perspective) and social (e.g., family connection, community).ConclusionsThe research findings provide insight into the role of sport in psychosocial aspects of addiction recovery using an autobiographical approach grounded in narrative theory. This study also extends work in sport psychology focusing on autobiographies as research and pedagogical resources to learn more about athlete mental health.     

Associations of perceived stress and state anger with symptom burden and functional status in patients with heart failure

Abstract

Background: Psychosocial stress and anger trigger cardiovascular events, but their relationship to heart failure (HF) exacerbations is unclear. We investigated perceived stress and anger associations with HF functional status and symptoms.

Methods and Results: In a prospective cohort study (BETRHEART), 144 patients with HF (77% male; 57.5?±?11.5 years) were evaluated for perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale; PSS) and state anger (STAXI) at baseline and every 2 weeks for 3 months. Objective functional status (6-min walk test; 6MWT) and health status (Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire; KCCQ) were also measured biweekly. Linear mixed model analyses indicated that average PSS and greater than usual increases in PSS were associated with worsened KCCQ scores. Greater than usual increases in PSS were associated with worsened 6MWT. Average anger levels were associated with worsened KCCQ, and increases in anger were associated with worsened 6MWT. Adjusting for PSS, anger associations were no longer statistically significant. Adjusting for anger, PSS associations with KCCQ and 6MWT remained significant.

Conclusion: In patients with HF, both perceived stress and anger are associated with poorer functional and health status, but perceived stress is a stronger predictor. Negative effects of anger on HF functional status and health status may partly operate through psychological stress.     

Self-reported posttraumatic growth predicts greater subsequent posttraumatic stress amidst war and terrorism

Background and objective: This study tested three alternative explanations for research indicating a positive, but heterogeneous relationship between self-reported posttraumatic growth (PTG) and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PSS): (a) the third-variable hypothesis that the relationship between PTG and PSS is a spurious one driven by positive relationships with resource loss, (b) the growth over time hypothesis that the relationship between PTG and PSS is initially a positive one, but becomes negative over time, and (c) the moderator hypothesis that resource loss moderates the relationship between PTG and PSS such that PTG is associated with lower levels of PSS as loss increases. Design and method: A nationally representative sample (N?=?1622) of Israelis was assessed at three time points during a period of ongoing violence. PTG, resource loss, and the interaction between PTG and loss were examined as lagged predictors of PSS to test the proposed hypotheses. Results: Results were inconsistent with all three hypotheses, showing that PTG positively predicted subsequent PSS when accounting for main and interactive effects of loss. Conclusions: Our results suggest that self-reported PTG is a meaningful but counterintuitive predictor of poorer mental health following trauma.     

压力知觉对大学生手机成瘾的影响：自我控制和学习倦怠的序列中介效应

为考察自我控制、学习倦怠在压力知觉与手机成瘾之间的序列中介效应,运用压力知觉量表、自我控制量表、学习倦怠量表和手机成瘾量表对946名大学生进行调查,结果表明：(1) 压力知觉与手机成瘾呈显著正相关;(2) 自我控制在压力知觉与大学生手机成瘾倾向之间起中介作用;(3)学习倦怠在压力知觉与大学生手机成瘾倾向之间起中介作用;(4) 压力知觉通过自我控制和学习倦怠的序列中介作用对大学生手机成瘾倾向产生影响。     

The Continuing Role of Hardiness and Grit on Performance and Retention in West Point Cadets

Being an army reservist involves stress and uncertainty. While some individuals use exercise to cope with stress, no previous research has ever studied the relationship between army reservists exercise habits and perceived stress. The current study examined the hypothesis that Israeli army reserves in combat roles would report greater perceived stress and (to cope with the stress) exhibit more intensive exercise habits, as well as higher risk for exercise addiction, than the army reserves who are in a non-combat (i.e., office job) role and controls who are not in the army reserve. Participants (n = 277) completed questionnaires assessing their regular exercises habits, perceived stress, and risk for exercise addiction. The results showed that combat reserves scored higher on all dependent measures than non-combat reserves and controls. Perceived stress accounted for 38.8% to 56.6% of the variance in the risk of exercise addiction. Findings suggest that Israeli army reserves in combat role exercise more, for longer episodes, with greater reported intensity, and are at a greater risk for exercise addiction than the reserves in non-combat roles and controls. The higher risk for exercise addiction in the combat reserves, accompanied by a lower predictive power of the perceived stress, reflects a weaker association between these two variables in this group, most likely because combat reserves feel obliged to be physically fit in case of active deployment. This is the first study to show that differences in reservists’ roles is associated with different levels of risk for exercise addiction.     

Asthma-Specific Quality of Life in Older Adolescents and Young Adults with Long-Standing Asthma: The Role of Anxiety and Depression

The present study examined the influence of psychological comorbidity (i.e., anxiety and depression) on asthma-specific quality of life (QOL). Sixty-four older adolescents and young adults with childhood onset asthma completed measures of anxiety, depression, and asthma-specific QOL. Objective assessments of illness severity were obtained via a semistructured interview and pulmonary function test. Results revealed that the combination of anxiety and depression severity contributed significant variance to asthma QOL after statistically controlling demographic and disease covariates. Moreover, anxiety demonstrated a significant main effect on asthma QOL. Findings suggest that assessment of anxiety may help identify individuals who are at risk for poorer asthma-specific quality of life. Such early interventions can be effectively incorporated into comprehensive biopsychosocial treatment and behavioral self-management programs for individuals with asthma.     

压力对大学生网络成瘾的影响机制

为考察焦虑、消极应对方式和积极应对方式在压力与网络成瘾关系中的链式中介效应,使用压力量表、焦虑量表、应对方式量表和网络成瘾量对随机抽取的341名大学生表进行调查。研究显示：（1）焦虑中介了压力与大学生网络成瘾之间的的关系;（2）消极应对方式中介了焦虑与大学生网络成瘾之间的关系,而积极应对方式并未中介焦虑与大学生网络成瘾之间的关系。所以,焦虑和消极应对方式在压力与大学生网络成瘾之间起链式中介作用。     

Social networks and partner stress as predictors of adherence to medication, rehabilitation attendance, and quality of life following acute coronary syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined whether social network size and partner stress predicted medication adherence, cardiac rehabilitation attendance, and quality of life 12 months following hospitalization for an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). DESIGN: ACS patients (N = 193, M age = 60.6 years, SD = 11.4 years, 23% female) were recruited shortly following admission to 4 local hospitals. A prospective design was employed with follow-up data collected 12 months following hospital admission. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Data were gathered on social network size and partner stress. The main outcomes assessed at 12 months were medication adherence, cardiac rehabilitation attendance, and quality of life (Short Form 36). RESULTS: Partner stress predicted medication nonadherence, odds ratio: 2.89, (95% CI = 1.21, 6.95). ACS patients with large social networks were more likely to attend rehabilitation, odds ratio: 3.42, (95% CI = 1.42, 8.25). Analyses were adjusted for age, gender, clinical risk scores, readmission/recurrence, and negative affectivity. Both partner stress and smaller social network size were associated with poorer quality of life. CONCLUSION: Social network size and partner stress may partly exert their influence on coronary heart disease morbidity and mortality through recovery behaviors and maintenance of quality of life.     

Work strain and the post-discharge adjustment of patients following a heart attack

Abstract

The role of work characteristics in determining return to work after an acute coronary event was examined. One hundred and forty nine patients were enrolled. One year post-discharge, 74 had returned to work. Work characteristics (decision latitude, and opportunity for social interaction at work), together with age, depression, and medical prognosis, correctly classified work status in 78% of cases. At 12 months post-discharge, patients who had not returned to work recorded significantly poorer levels of adjustment compared to those who had returned to work. A better quality of life is associated with a lower level of depression pre-hospitalization, ownership of a larger home, being male, and having a more positive work environment. The findings suggest that the pre-illness work environment of the patient is a factor influencing return to work, which needs to be considered in rehabilitation programmes.     

Perceived health following myocardial infarction: cross-validation of the Health Complaints Scale in Danish patients

With an ageing population and a decline in cardiac mortality rates, the number of patients with cardiac disease is increasing, which in turn poses a major challenge for secondary prevention. For this end, appropriate, sensitive, and validated instruments to assess health complaints and quality of life are required. The objectives of the current study were: (1) to cross-validate the Health Complaints Scale (HCS) in a Danish sample of patients with a first myocardial infarction (MI); and (2) to investigate whether perceived health, as measured by the HCS is related to cardiac disease severity. The HCS was originally developed in Belgian patients with coronary artery disease. One-hundred-and-twelve consecutive patients with a first myocardial infarction were assessed by means of a questionnaire four to six weeks post infarction. Clinical measures were sampled from medical records. The factor structure of the HCS and the internal consistency of the Somatic Complaints (alpha = 0.91) and Cognitive Complaints subscales (alpha = 0.94) were confirmed. The construct validity of the scale was confirmed against measures of psychopathology and personality. Patients scored significantly higher on the HCS Somatic and Cognitive scales as compared with self-reports of depression and anxiety (p < 0.0001). Health complaints were unrelated to severity of cardiac disease and rather reflected subjective perception of quality of life. These findings show that the HCS is a valid instrument that is equally applicable in Danish cardiac patients to monitor perceived health as a major component of quality of life.     

Measurement issues associated with conditional reasoning tests: An examination of faking

Conditional reasoning (CR) is a new item format that measures personality by indirectly assessing reliance upon the cognitive biases associated with specific traits (James et al., 2005). Previous research suggests that, relative to self-report measures, responses on CR-based measures are more difficult to distort (LeBreton, Barksdale, Robin, & James, 2007). The issue of response distortion in the context of CR-based measures was evaluated in two studies. Study 1 (within-subjects) and Study 2 (between-subjects) both investigated whether responses on a CR-based test of addiction could be faked when indirect assessment was upheld. Results of both studies indicated that, unlike a self-report measure of a similar construct, the CR-based measure was unaffected by response distortion.     

Perceived stress correlates with disturbed sleep: a link connecting stress and cardiovascular disease

The association between stress and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is becoming established. A mechanistic link clarifying the intermediate steps between the experience of stress and the development of CVD would support this association. We sought to examine the role of perceived stress as a factor associated with disturbed sleep with the goal of providing an explanation for the stress-CVD connection. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of data recorded by subjects at entry to our CVD prevention program. Data collection included questionnaire surveys, anthropometrics, and a CVD-relevant laboratory panel. Of 350 consecutively enrolled subjects (mean age 54.4 ± 12.4 [SD] years, 138 men, 39%), 165 (47%) scored above the mean for stress measures. These high-stress subjects displayed an increased cardiovascular risk profile including elevated body mass index (mean ± SD 31.1 ± 5.9 vs. 29.0 ± 5.9, r(s) = 0.175), increased waist circumference (102 ± 17 cm vs. 98 ± 14, r(s) = 0.135), and elevated high-sensitivity serum C-reactive protein (0.384 mg/dl vs. 0.356, r(s) = 0.109). High-stress subjects also demonstrated greater daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale: 10.4 ± 5.0 vs. 7.8 ± 4.8, r(s) < 0.316), greater fatigue (fatigue scale: 5.4 ± 2.2 vs. 3.4 ± 2.4, r(s) = 0.484), poorer sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: 8.5 ± 4.4 vs. 5.9 ± 4.0, r(s) = 0.416), and shorter sleep duration (20 min less/24 h, r(s) = negative 0.177) with a higher risk for sleep apnea (60% at high risk vs. 40%, p = 0.003) than low-stress subjects. High stress was associated with significant disturbances in sleep duration and sleep quality. Stress levels also correlated with daytime consequences of disturbed sleep. The stress-sleep connection may be an important mechanistic mediator of the association between stress and CVD.     

The experience of stuttering among Ultra-Orthodox and Secular/Traditional Jews

PurposeThis groundbreaking research compares the experience of stuttering among adult male People Who Stutter (PWS) from the ultra-Orthodox (UO) Jewish community in Israel to those from Secular/Traditional (ST) backgrounds.MethodsParticipants were 32 UO and 31 ST PWS, aged 18–67 years. Self-report questionnaires utilized: Perceived Stuttering Severity (PSS); Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering (OASES-A); Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS); Situation Avoidance Behavior Checklist (SABC). Demographic, religious, and stuttering information was collected. Groups were compared on scales, and correlations between scales and the PSS.ResultsSubjective stuttering severity ratings were significantly higher among the UO. A significant group effect was found for the OASES-A quality of life subscale, but not other subscales. Significant positive correlations were found between: 1) PSS and OASES-A Total Impact; 2) PSS and 3 OASES subscales; and 3) PSS and SABC (indicating increased avoidance with increased stuttering severity rating). A significant negative correlation was found between the PSS and SLSS, indicating lower life satisfaction with higher rates of stuttering severity among the ST. Interestingly, when tested by group, significant correlations between the PSS and all other study measures were observed only among the ST.ConclusionUO participants showed higher subjective stuttering severity ratings, yet less impact on quality of life, and no correlation between subjective stuttering and other measures of stuttering experience. These novel findings may result from the combined protective effect of religiosity and socio-cultural characteristics on UO PWS’ well-being, despite heightened concern about social consequences of stuttering within UO society.     

Salivary cortisol concentrations, stress and quality of life in women with endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain

The objective of this study was to evaluate the perceived stress index, quality of life, and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis activity in women with endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain. For the study, 93 women with endometriosis and 82 healthy women volunteered. The visual analogue scale (VAS) (0=no pain; 10=severe pain) was used to determine pain intensity; the perceived stress questionnaire (PSQ) defined stress index, and the health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL)-SF-36 questionnaire was used to evaluate quality of life. Salivary cortisol was measured at 0800, 1600, and 2000 h and the awakening cortisol response was assessed to evaluate the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis activity. The results show that women with endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain of moderate intensity (4.1+/-0.58, mean+/-SEM) have higher levels of perceived stress (0.55+/-0.01 versus 0.42+/-0.01, p<0.05), a poorer quality of life expressed as lower scores for all items of the inventory and hypocortisolism. Lower levels of salivary cortisol were observed in all three samples collected, as well as in the awakening cortisol response, for women with endometriosis (0.19+/-0.09 microg/dl) when compared with controls (0.78+/-0.08 microg/dl, p<0.05 l), and it was independent of pain intensity and Mental health (MH) scores in SF-36. We concluded that women with endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain show low concentrations of salivary cortisol and a high level of perceived stress, associated with a poor quality of life. Whether the hypocortisolism was an adaptive response to the aversive symptoms of the disorder or a feature related to the etiology of endometriosis remains to be elucidated.