Researchers from the Jaume I University have confirmed theusefulness of the DUWAS scale to measure work addiction, a disorder that currently affects around 12% of working people in Spain. “Work addiction is understood as a psychosocial damage characterized by two main dimensions: excessive work and compulsive work”, explains Mario Del Líbano, lead author of the article, published in the Spanish magazinePsychothema.
The International Labor Organization (ILO) states that 8% of the workforce dedicates more than 12 hours a day to their profession. But according to Del Líbano, “You are only addicted to work if, in addition to working excessively, you work compulsively to calm anxiety and feelings of guiltthat produce in the person the fact of not working, “says Del Líbano.
Work addiction is characterized by extreme work activity and dedication (working after hours, weekends or holidays), compulsion at work (inability to delegate tasks), disproportionate work involvement (work-centered self-assessment), and a deterioration of daily life. The DUWAS scale is based on twenty statements that the worker should score from 1 to 5, including some such as “I feel that there is something inside me that drives me to work hard” or “I feel guilty when I have a day off at work”.
Risk factors for this addiction include:economic, family and social pressures; fear of losing your job; the competitiveness of the labor market; the need to achieve the desired success; fear of pushy, demanding and threatening bosses; the high levels of work self-efficacy and the lack of personal affection that work tries to make up for.
