Work addiction and personality organization: Results from a representative, three-wave longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have explored the relationship between personality and work addiction, suggesting that individuals with certain mental disorders, including personality disorders such as obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), may be more prone to work addiction. However, the characterization of personality organization (PO) among workaholics and its contribution to the persistence of work addiction remains unclear. METHODS: In this longitudinal study of a representative sample of young adults (N = 1748), we applied the Bergen Work Addiction Scale and the Inventory of Personality Organization. RESULTS: We found significant correlations between work addiction and identity diffusion, primitive psychological defenses, reality testing, and overall personality disorganization across three waves. A latent class growth analysis revealed three profiles: no work addiction, increasing work addiction, and constant moderate work addiction. Multinomial logistic regression analysis indicated that higher levels of personality disorganization in wave 1 and increases in personality disorganization between waves 1 and 3 were associated with higher odds of belonging to the increasing work addiction group. Similarly, higher overall personality disorganization in wave 1 was associated with higher odds of belonging to the constant moderate work addiction group. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that individuals with chronic work addiction have lower levels of PO, and PO declines as work addiction persists. Screenings for work addiction are recommended to prevent potential mental health issues. Future research should explore the influence of workplace characteristics and work motivations on the association between work addiction and personality disorders.

[Prevalence, sociodemographic, and psychological characteristics of work addiction in the Hungarian adult population: Results of a nationally representative survey].

INTRODUCTION: Although work addiction has been first described in the 1970s, research on the field has only become intensified during the last decades. Symptoms of work addiction are similar to the characteristics of other behavioral addictions (e.g., tolerance, intrapersonal and interpersonal conflicts, and withdrawal symptoms). Until today, only one nationally representative survey was conducted (in Norway) to estimate the prevalence of work addic - tion. Our aim was to explore the prevalence of work addiction in the Hungarian population and define the possible risk and protective factors of the problem. METHODS: The study was carried out on a nationally representative sample of the Hungarian adult population aged 16-64 years (N=2274) with the age group of 18-34 being over-representing. The weighted sample of the 18-64-yearold population covered 1490 individuals. Several sociodemographic variables were collected and the following measurements were applied: Bergen Work Addiction Scale; Brief Symptom Inventory; Barratt Impulsiveness Scale; and Well-Being Inventory. RESULTS: 8% (95% CI ± 1.38%) of the Hungarian adult population currently having a job has been classified to be atrisk for work addiction, which means 4.7% (95% CI ± 1.07%) for the whole adult population. Binary logistic regression analyses identified the following risk factors: being female, higher satisfaction with the current job, dissatisfaction with the current health status, more frequent psychiatric symptoms, and a higher level of (motor) impulsiveness. CONCLUSION: We could identify several risk factors of work addiction and our results can be applied both in future research and in the practice of clinical psychology and work psychology. Our results have also highlighted that work addiction can be categorized closer to the impulsive end of the obsessive-compulsive spectrum.

A Four-Factor Model of Work Addiction: The Development of the Work Addiction Risk Test Revised.

BACKGROUND: Work has a crucial role in individuals' productivity, social life, and psychological well-being. Despite various definitions of work addiction in the literature, the number of psychometrically reliable instruments is limited. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to psychometrically test and revise the factor structure of the Work Addiction Risk Test (WART), one of the most widely used instruments assessing work addiction. METHOD: The full version of the WART [Robinson, Post, & Khakee, 1992] was assessed using a nationally representative sample of Hungary (n = 2,710). To increase validity, the analyses were conducted among individuals who worked at least 40 h a week (n = 1,286, 43% women, mean age = 38.9 years, SD = 10.8). RESULTS: Using confirmatory factor analysis, the originally proposed 4- and 5-factor solutions did not have adequate model fit indices. Thus, the sample was randomly divided into 2 subsamples. Exploratory factor analysis conducted in the first half of the sample supported a 4-factor solution, which was confirmed in the other half of the sample. The Work Addiction Risk Test Revised (WART-R) comprises 17 items and 4 factors (i.e., Overcommitment, Impatience, Hard-working, and Salience). Using a latent class analysis, a cutoff score (51 points out of 68) for the high risk of work addiction was determined. Almost one in 10 participants (9.3%) were identified as being symptomatic of work addiction, and these individuals also reported an elevated level of mental distress and hostility. CONCLUSIONS: As a conclusion, the WART-R is suitable to be used as an indicator of work addiction based on clinically relevant symptom dimensions.

Psychometric properties of the Cannabis Abuse Screening Test in Hungarian samples of adolescents and young adults.

AIM: The aim of our study was to analyze psychometric properties of the Cannabis Abuse Screening Test (CAST). METHODS: Our sample comprised Hungarian high school (n = 476; male 56.3%; mean age 19.0 years, SD = 0.65 years) and college students (n = 439; male 65.1%; mean age 23.9 years, SD = 1.56 years) who reported cannabis use in the past year. The sample covered the five biggest universities of Hungary. Besides the CAST, participants responded to the Munich-Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Factor structure was analyzed by a confirmatory factor analysis. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was made to assess cut-off scores. Data collection took place in 2010. RESULTS: CAST proved to be a reliable (Cronbach's α 0.71 and 0.76) one-dimensional measure. Regarding both cannabis dependence and cannabis use disorders, a cut-off of 2 points proved to be ideal in both samples, resulting in optimal specificity, negative predictive values and accuracy, but less than optimal positive predictive values (dependence) and low sensitivity (cannabis use disorder). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: In line with former results, the CAST proved to be an adequate measure for the screening of cannabis-related problems among adolescents and young adults in an Eastern European country where this scale has not been studied before.

Work addiction and social functioning: A systematic review and five meta-analyses.

As theoretical models suggest, work addiction has several adverse correlates and consequences, such as unfavorable personality traits, physical and psychological symptoms, and social conflicts. Both early and recent concepts emphasize that individuals with work addiction have more problematic social life due to obsessive overwork. This includes negative impacts on family, workplace, and other relationships. The present study aimed to systematically review and meta-analyze all the empirical studies that examined the association between work addiction and any dimension of social life, as such an analysis has never been conducted before. Studies published from 1995 to 2022 were identified through a systematic search. 102 eligible studies were included in the review, with 75 studies contributing to five different meta-analyses. The results indicated significant associations between work addiction and: (1) lower work-life balance, (2) reduced social functioning, and increased difficulties in (3) family relationships, (4) intimate relationships, and (5) relationships with the community, friends, and colleagues. The associations were found to be independent of gender and age. The meta-analytic study highlights research gaps in the field and suggests future directions, including exploring attachment styles and early social relationships in work addiction, investigating the association between social and emotional competencies and work addiction, examining the role of escape motivation, and exploring the characteristics of the partners (spouses) of workaholics. Since the quality of social relationships and social support are crucial factors in physical and mental health, the prevention and intervention of work addiction should be prioritized in organizational and clinical settings.

Driving and mobile phone use: Work addiction predicts hazardous but not excessive mobile phone use in a longitudinal study of young adults.

Background and objectives: Work addiction (WA), characterized by dimensions such as overcommitment, difficulties in detachment from work, and work-life imbalance, is presumed to be associated with increased smartphone usage, even during risky activities like driving. The study investigated the connection between WA and future problematic and hazardous smartphone use, considering personality factors: anxiety, rumination, and worry. Methods: A three-wave longitudinal study (N = 1,866) was conducted from March to July 2019, June to September 2020, and June to November 2021, involving a representative sample of 18-34-year-old residents in Hungary's capital. The study employed Hungarian versions of the Bergen Work Addiction Scale, Problematic Mobile Phone Use Questionnaire, Ruminative Response Scale, Anxiety subscale of the Brief Symptom Inventory 18, and Penn-State Worry Questionnaire. Additionally, author-developed questions on mobile phone use while driving were included. Results: At baseline, those at risk for WA showed more frequent mobile phone use while driving at both time points 2 and 3 compared to the non-risk group. Path analyses revealed rumination, anxiety at time 1, and worry at time 2 as significant mediators between baseline WA and mobile phone use while driving at time 3. However, when analyzing all three mediators together, only anxiety at time 1 and worry at time 2 remained significant. Discussion and conclusion: This study demonstrates that WA predicts future mobile phone use while driving through mediation by anxiety and worry. Our findings add to the growing evidence highlighting the detrimental aspects of WA, emphasizing the need for improved prevention and treatment strategies.

The mediating effect of self-esteem, depression and anxiety between satisfaction with body appearance and problematic internet use.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Given that dissatisfaction with bodily appearance can sometimes lead to the avoidance of personal contacts and the increase of internet use, this study examines this relationship. The direct role of dissatisfaction with bodily appearance along with the possible mediation effects of depression, anxiety and self-esteem were tested. METHODS: A total of 694 participants completed an online questionnaire (58.5% male, mean age 21.5 years), containing measures on problematic internet use, depression and anxiety symptoms, self-esteem and satisfaction with body image. Path analyses were used to test direct and indirect effects. RESULTS: Satisfaction with body appearance had a significant negative direct effect on problematic internet use among both sexes. Though, satisfaction with body appearance had a positive effect on self-esteem and negative on anxiety, neither self-esteem nor anxiety had a direct significant effect on problematic internet use. The effect of dissatisfaction with body appearance was mediated via the self-esteem-depression path toward problematic internet use. CONCLUSIONS: Dissatisfaction with physical appearance seems to have a significant role in individuals' immersing themselves in internet use.

[The Hungarian version of the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI-HU)]. / A Szerencsejáték Probléma Súlyossága kérdoiv magyar változatának (PGSI-HU) bemutatása.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The growing availability of gambling is accompanied by the increased level of gambling related problems. As result, reliable and valid measurement tools that could quickly identify problem/pathological gambling are necessary. The goal of the study was the psychometric evaluation of the Hungarian version of Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI-HU) as well as the presentation of the first data gained by this instrument. METHODS: The administration of the instrument was conducted in Budapest on an adult sample. The sample (N=777) was recruited in lottery stores and other gambling venues. The sample consisted of 466 males and 311 females. The structural validation of the instrument was executed by confirmatory factor analysis and the concurrent validation was tested with the South Oaks Gambling Screen. RESULTS: The instrument's psychometric properties are appropriate. The majority of the sample (61.6%) is considered as non-problem gambler; 20.2 % of the sample is in the low-problem group; 11.8% is in the moderate level problem gambler category and 6.3% could be considered as pathological gambler. The results of the assessment of the concurrent validity indicate strong significant correlation among the PGSI and SOGS (r=0.802; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The PGSI-HU is a valid and reliable instrument to identify problem and pathological gambling. The measure is recommended to be used both in clinical and research settings due to its appropriate properties.

[Problematic online gaming. A review of the literature]. / Problémás onlinejáték-használat. Szakirodalmi áttekintés.

In parallel with the increasing popularity of online games, researchers have reported an increasing number of problematic users. For this reason there is a growing amount of literature analyzing the effects of online games. The present review described the evolution of online games as well as their types and specific characteristics of these types. This review examines (i) the question of definition, (ii) symptoms of problematic use, (iii) the measurement instruments (iv) prevalence data, (v) issues of etiology, (vi) the results of comorbidity, and (vii) the main trends and results in the area of prevention and treatment.

The neuropsychological profile of work addiction.

The objective of this study was to examine, for the first time, the neuropsychological aspects of work addiction, with a specific emphasis on the cognitive factors identified by theoretical models. While previous research has highlighted self-reported obsessiveness and impulsiveness in work addiction, this study sought to go beyond self-report measures by employing also neuropsychological reaction time tasks to assess executive functions. A total of 101 participants were categorized into two groups based on their Work Addiction Risk Test scores: a high-risk group (HWA; n = 39) and a low-risk group (LWA; n = 62) for work addiction. Executive functions were assessed using Go/No-Go, Digit Span, Counting Span, N-back, and Card Sorting Tasks. The findings revealed that the HWA group had poorer inhibitory control and achieved lower scores on the more complex working memory task involving updating (2-back). However, they exhibited unaltered cognitive flexibility and outperformed the LWA group on the 1-back task associated with maintenance and storage of information and sustained attention. Higher levels of impulsiveness and compulsiveness were observed in the HWA group, consistent with previous studies. These findings highlight the role of inhibition and working memory in work addiction, potentially contributing to challenges such as inefficient working strategies and impaired social functioning. This study offers valuable insights into the neurocognitive aspects of work addiction, deepening our understanding of this phenomenon.

Differences in the associations between psychoactive substance use and alexithymia: A series of Meta-analyses.

The present meta-analytic study examined the association between alexithymia and psychoactive substance use. Studies published from 1988 to August 20, 2022 were identified by a systematic search and 168 eligible studies were included in five meta-analyses. Results showed that (1) the correlation between substance use and alexithymia is small but significant (r = 0.177); (2) substance users have substantially higher alexithymia than nonusers (g = 0.545); (3) alexithymic participants have significantly but slightly higher levels of substance use than non-alexithymics (g = 0.242); (4) substance users are significantly but only slightly more likely to be alexithymic than nonusers (OR = 2.392); and (5) alexithymic individuals are not more likely to be substance users than non-alexithymics. Larger effects were observed among samples diagnosed with substance use disorder (SUD), and the use of depressants, alcohol, opiates, and illicit stimulants had stronger relation to alexithymia. We found a tendency for a larger association with problematic use as compared to other indicators (e.g., frequency and duration) of substance use. Among the components of alexithymia, difficulties in identifying feelings has the strongest association with substance use. Our findings support clinical practice by suggesting the improvement of emotion regulation in SUD.

Exercise addiction: symptoms, diagnosis, epidemiology, and etiology.

Regular physical activity plays a crucial role in health maintenance and disease prevention. However, excessive exercise has the potential to have adverse effects on both physical and mental health. The scholastic and empirical discussion of excessive physical activity focuses on obsessive and compulsive exercising, and uses several labels. However, in this review, we argue that the most appropriate term for this phenomenon is exercise addiction, emphasizing that excessive physical exercise fits the typical and most common characteristics of behavioral addictions. The aim of this review is to synthesize the current knowledge on symptomology, diagnosis, epidemiology, and etiology of exercise addiction.

Gambling in Western and Eastern Europe: the example of Hungary.

The history of gambling in post-socialist countries is noticeably different from that of other countries in Europe. The goal of this study was therefore twofold: Firstly, to systematically review all European epidemiological studies related to excessive gambling in the general adult population, and secondly, to provide an overview of the state of gambling in Hungary based on the first ever nationwide representative survey, setting the results against the backdrop of the earlier European studies. A systematic review was carried out of European gambling studies which focus on a representative adult general population. Hungarian data was obtained from the National Survey on Addiction Problems in Hungary general adult population survey (N = 2,710). Pathological gambling was measured by the South Oaks Gambling Screen. Lifetime prevalence of excessive gambling (problem and pathological gambling) in the general adult population of European countries varies between 1.1% (Italy and Spain) and 6.5% (Estonia). In Hungary, the prevalence of problem gambling is 1.9%, with pathological gambling at 1.4%. The socio-demographic characteristics of the results are similar to those of other European countries. Using epidemiological data from the general adult populations of two post-socialist nations, it was possible to compare the results with data from 12 other European countries. Based on the data available, the extremely rapid liberation of the gambling market in the post-socialist countries has led to a similarly swift escalation in associated gambling problems.

Drinking motives among Spanish and Hungarian young adults: a cross-national study.

AIMS: To investigate differences and similarities in college students' drinking motives in Spain and in Hungary. METHODS: A total of 550 Spanish (mean age 22.7, SD = 3.2) and 997 Hungarian (mean age 22.4, SD = 2.7) college students completed the Drinking Motive Questionnaire Revised Short Form (DMQ-R SF) and answered other alcohol-related questions. Data were analyzed by confirmatory factor analysis, t-test and structural equation modeling. RESULTS: The DMQ-R SF demonstrated good psychometric properties in both countries. The rank order of the motives (social > enhancement > coping > conformity) was identical in the two countries. However, Hungarian students scored higher on enhancement, social and coping motives than Spanish students. In both the Hungarian and the Spanish population, enhancement motives were associated with drinking frequency and drunkenness, while coping motives were associated with alcohol-related problems. Among Spanish students, a significant relationship was found between alcohol-related problems and enhancement motives as well. CONCLUSION: Despite the substantial differences in the drinking culture of both countries, drinking motives showed overwhelming similarities (e.g. rank order of motives and the particular relationships between motives and alcohol outcomes). Only few differences (e.g. Hungarian college students indicated a higher level of motives) were found in cross-national comparison. Our results imply that programs targeting risky drinking motives are likely to be successfully adapted to different drinking cultures in Europe.

[Association of the different types of substance use behaviors in the Hungarian adult population]. / A különbözö szerhasználó magatartások kapcsolódása a magyarországi felnött népesség körében.

BACKGROUND, AIMS: There are several examples in international literature dealing with the connection between different types of substance use behaviors. Studies mostly report the strengthening effect of one type of substance use on other types as well among Hungarian high school students. In our study the relationship between different substance use behaviors are analyzed on adult population. METHOD: The analysis was carried out within the framework of the Hungarian Population Survey on Addiction Problems (OLAAP) on a sample of 2710 persons from the Hungarian population between 18 and 64 years of age. RESULTS: Lifetime prevalence of abstinence regarding all substance use behaviors in the 18-64 years population is 7.5%. 848% of all subjects have drunk alcohol ever, 55.6% have smoked, 13.1% have consumed prescription drugs and 9.3% have used illicit drugs at least once while lifetime prevalence of abusive prescription drug use is 6.1%. One fourth (24.8%) of the surveyed persons have not used any of the studied substances in the last month. Socio-demographic pattern of different substance use behaviors is rather heterogenic, however descriptive analyses on the relationship between different actual (last month) substance use behaviors in line with the cluster analysis carried out on prevalence data of different substance use behaviors indicate the relatedness of substance use behaviors. CONCLUSION: Our results support the phenomenon called multiple drug use in literature that was observed on a Hungarian high school student sample as well. At the same time however, based on the substance use data regarding adult population, a slightly different cluster structure was identified.

[Problematic and pathologic gambling in Hungary: the Hungarian version and use of the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS-HU)]. / Problémás és patológiás szerencsejáték Magyarországon: a South Oaks szerencsejáték kérdoiv magyar verziójának (SOGS-HU) hazai alkalmazása.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Gambling is a form of entertainment with a history of thousand years that has a significant potential for development and has become a widely spread global industry recently. Excessive gambling can take the form of problem, or even pathological gambling. The South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) is the most common measure used for the assessment of problem and pathological gambling. The aim of our study was the development and psychometric analysis of the Hungarian version of the instrument, and its verification on a representative population sample. METHOD: The administration of the instrument was conducted within the frame of the National Household Survey on Addiction Problems, where 2710 persons were interviewed from Hungarian population between 18 and 64 years. RESULTS: The psychometric properties of SOGS-HU are adequate. 65.3% of the respondents had ever gambled. The most popular games are lottery and other number draw games. According to the data obtained by SOGS 1.9 % of the sample was considered to be problem gambler, and 1.4 % of the sample was considered to be pathological gambler. In both groups the proportion of man was higher, while additional risk factors were lower income, lower expected level of education and legal / illegal substance use. CONCLUSION: Based on these results Hungary can be found in the middle-rank of Europe regarding the prevalence of problem and pathological gambling.

Emotional intelligence and addictions: a systematic review.

Since the millennium, an expanding number of research articles have examined the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and physical and mental health. The relationship between EI and addictive disorders has, however, remained relatively well-hidden. We therefore systematically reviewed and critically evaluated the literature on this relationship. We identified 51 articles on the topic of which 36 fulfilled our inclusion criteria. Results indicate that a lower level of EI is associated with more intensive smoking, alcohol use, and illicit drug use and two components of EI play a key role in addictions: "decoding and differentiation of emotions" and "regulation of emotions."

Confirmation of the three-factor model of the Assessing Emotions Scale (AES): verification of the theoretical starting point.

Several measures have been developed for the quantification of emotional intelligence. One widely applied method is the Assessing Emotions Scale, whose factor structure has attracted much scientific attention. The objective of the present study was to identify which of the previously suggested models are the most appropriate. By applying confirmatory factor analysis, we have tested the original one-, three-, four-, and six-factor solutions. Results confirmed the three-factor structure to be the most suitable solution. We suggest that the factors in this structure are better described by the labels "appraisal of emotions," "optimism and regulation of emotions," and "intrapersonal and interpersonal utilization of emotions." Supplemental materials for this article may be downloaded from http://brm.psychonomic-journals.org/content/supplemental.

[Epidemiology of smoking in Hungary--a representative national study]. / A dohányzás epidemiológiája a magyar népesség körében országos reprezentatív adatok alapján.

UNLABELLED: Our study reviews publications regarding assessment of smoking prevalence rates on Hungarian adult representative samples. Our aim is to report the results on prevalence of smoking of the national representative survey called the National Survey on Addiction Problems in Hungary (NSAPH) carried out in 2007. of the present survey and former studies are compared, as well. METHODS: Target population of the survey was the entire Hungarian population between 18 and 64 years of age. Net size of the sample was 2710 persons. Part of the data collection happened by face-to-face interviews while more sensitive issues were assessed by self-rating questionnaires. RESULTS: 36.1% of the Hungarian adult population smoke cigarettes (29.9% on a daily basis). 40.6% of males while 31.7% of females smoke regularly (rates of daily smokers are 34.6% and 25.3%, respectively). Male gender, lower age, lower education, lower socio-economic status and parental smoking were identified as risk factors for smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Present results support the higher prevalence rates among the heterogeneous results of previous years, while suggest slight increase of smoking at the same time. This tendency is unequivocally due to the increase of smoking among women, while in case of men stagnating prevalence rates can be observed.

[The role of emotional intelligence in addiction disorders]. / Az érzelmi intelligencia szerepe az addikctiós zavarokban.

Role of emotions in the background of addictions is a long-studied question. Clinical observations and comorbidity studies unambiguously indicate that psychoactive substance use and dependence are related to emotional problems as well. Emotional intelligence is a relatively new concept of the study of managing emotions. On the revelation of this construct's relationship with psychoactive substance use and dependence only a few studies have been carried out so far. Present study systematically reviews articles born between 1990 and October 1, 2010 dealing with the relationship of these two factors. Out of the identified altogether 54 studies, 37 fitted the criteria of analysis. Studies overall indicate that lower levels of emotional intelligence are associated with more intensive drinking, smoking and illicit substance use and also more likely correlate with internet addiction, bulimia, gambling and impulsive buying. According to their results, especially the components called "recognizing emotions" and "regulation of emotions" of emotional intelligence play important roles regarding substance use.