4 psychiatric disorders common in workaholics, study finds

Among more than 16,000 working adults who participated in a Norwegian study, workers considered "workaholics" showed symptoms of four psychiatric disorders.

The study was co-authored by researchers from Nottingham Trent University and Yale University.

• 32.7 percent of those considered workaholics showed signs of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), versus 12.7 percent among adults not considered workaholics.
• 25.6 percent of workaholics had symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), versus 8.7 percent of non-workaholics.
• 33.8 percent of workaholics showed symptoms of anxiety, versus 11.9 percent of non-workaholics.
• 8.9 percent of workaholics showed symptoms of depression, versus 2.6 percent of non-workaholics.

Researchers used seven diagnostic criteria to classify workers as workaholics; if someone met four or more of the criteria, he or she was considered a workaholic.

• Thinking of how to free up more time to work
• Spending more time working than intended
• Working in order to avoid feelings of guilt, anxiety, helplessness or depression
• Being told by others to work less but not listening to them
• Becoming stressed when prohibited from working
• Prioritizing work over hobbies, leisure and/or exercise on a regular basis
• Working so much that health is negatively affected