Workaholics, or those who are addicted to their jobs, have an average lower mood than the general population, even when they are engaged in their favorite activity: working. A phenomenon in which workaholism syndrome is compared to other addictions such as gambling or alcoholism. A study conducted by Cristian Balducci, a professor in the Department of Life Quality Sciences at the University of Bologna (Rimini Campus), in collaboration with Dr. Luca Menghini of the University of Trento and Professor Paola Spagnoli of the University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli," and published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, reaches this conclusion. "The more negative mood of workaholic people could signal higher levels of stress experienced on a daily basis and thus explain the higher risk for these people to develop burnout and cardiovascular problems," according to Professor Balducci. "In addition, given that the workaholic frequently tends to hold positions of responsibility, his negative mood could easily affect that of colleagues and collaborators: a danger that organizations should take into serious consideration, intervening to discourage behaviors that lead to workaholism." It has been recognized for some time that individuals with work addiction have a propensity to labor compulsively and excessively. A true job obsession that has serious consequences for one's health, psychological well-being, and relationships with family and friends. Several studies have found that workaholics suffer unpleasant feelings such as resentment, anxiety, and guilt when they are unable to work as much as they would like. Conversely, there are divergent hypotheses regarding the emotions that manifest within these individuals during their working hours. Some researchers imply that workaholics experience feelings of well-being and contentment during the workday, while others show that these good emotions are quickly replaced by a pervasive dysphoric state of aggravation and melancholy. To shed light on this, the researchers enlisted the help of 139 full-time employees, the majority of whom were involved in back-office duties. The individuals' level of work addiction was initially assessed using a psychological exam. The researchers then used the experience sampling method to analyze the workers' mood and impression of workload. The participants completed this task by installing an application on their mobile devices, which enabled them to transmit brief questionnaires approximately every 90 minutes, during the workday hours of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
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