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Heavy Work Investment and Psychopathology: Internalizing and Externalizing Disorders as Antecedents and Outcomes

Author

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  • Yura Loscalzo

    (University of Florence, Florence, Italy)

  • Marco Giannini

    (University of Florence, Florence, Italy)

Abstract

Workaholism and work engagement are two types of Heavy Work Investment (HWI) that have been widely studied. However, the literature on the role of internalizing and externalizing disorders as antecedents and outcomes of these two types of HWI is scant. This study aims to analyze, through two path models, if workaholism and work engagement predict the main forms of psychopathology as evaluated through the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R). Also, it analyzes if psychopathology and sensation seeking predict workaholism and work engagement to shed light on the internalizing and/or externalizing nature of workaholism. Besides the two path models, we also performed MANOVAs and Mann-Whitney tests to analyze differences in psychopathology and sensation seeking between workers with high and low levels of workaholism and work engagement, as well as between disengaged and engaged workaholics. The participants are 690 Italian workers (44.8% males) with a mean age of 38.99±12.45. The results showed that workaholism predicts higher psychopathology, while work engagement predicts lower psychological symptoms. Though, even if depression and boredom susceptibility negatively predict work engagement, it is also positively predicted by somatization. Moreover, workaholism is positively predicted by psychoticism only. Therefore, this study suggests that workaholism might be defined as the declination at work of a personality disorder, and that work engagement might be a coping strategy for workers experiencing somatic symptoms. Finally, preventive interventions should target both workaholism and work engagement, as high work engagement does not seem to protect engaged workaholics from psychological impairment.

Suggested Citation

  • Yura Loscalzo & Marco Giannini, 2020. "Heavy Work Investment and Psychopathology: Internalizing and Externalizing Disorders as Antecedents and Outcomes," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 22(Special 1), pages 1301-1301, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:aes:amfeco:v:22:y:2020:i:special14:p:1301
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Wilmar Schaufeli & Marisa Salanova & Vicente González-romá & Arnold Bakker, 2002. "The Measurement of Engagement and Burnout: A Two Sample Confirmatory Factor Analytic Approach," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 71-92, March.
    2. Ko Matsudaira & Akihito Shimazu & Tomoko Fujii & Kazumi Kubota & Takayuki Sawada & Norimasa Kikuchi & Masaya Takahashi, 2013. "Workaholism as a Risk Factor for Depressive Mood, Disabling Back Pain, and Sickness Absence," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(9), pages 1-8, September.
    3. Haar, Jarrod & Roche, Maree, 2013. "Three-way interaction effects of workaholism on employee well-being: Evidence from blue-collar workers in New Zealand," Journal of Management & Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 19(2), pages 134-149, March.
    4. Kamila Wojdylo & Nicola Baumann & Lis Fischbach & Stefan Engeser, 2014. "Live to Work or Love to Work: Work Craving and Work Engagement," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(10), pages 1-7, October.
    5. Akihito Shimazu & Wilmar B Schaufeli & Kazumi Kubota & Kazuhiro Watanabe & Norito Kawakami, 2018. "Is too much work engagement detrimental? Linear or curvilinear effects on mental health and job performance," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(12), pages 1-17, December.
    6. Cecilie Schou Andreassen & Mark D Griffiths & Rajita Sinha & Jørn Hetland & Ståle Pallesen, 2016. "The Relationships between Workaholism and Symptoms of Psychiatric Disorders: A Large-Scale Cross-Sectional Study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(5), pages 1-19, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yura Loscalzo & Marco Giannini, 2022. "Studyholism and Study Engagement in Adolescence: The Role of Social Anxiety and Interpretation Bias as Antecedents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-18, April.
    2. Yura Loscalzo & Marco Giannini, 2022. "Heavy Study Investment: An Analysis of the Defense Mechanisms Characterizing Studyholism and Study Engagement," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-25, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    anxiety; depression; psychiatric disorders; workaholism; work addiction; work engagement; sensation seeking.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior

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