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. 2018 Jan 5;15(1):73.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph15010073.

Workaholism as a Mediator between Work-Related Stressors and Health Outcomes

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Workaholism as a Mediator between Work-Related Stressors and Health Outcomes

Cecilie Schou Andreassen et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

It is currently unknown if unfavorable working conditions, reflected by the demand-control-support model and the effort-reward imbalance model, directly influence health or if the effects may be mediated by work-related attitudes and behaviors such as workaholism. In the present study, 988 employees (55.6% males, mean age 36.09, SD = 9.23) from a large consultant firm participated in a cross-sectional survey assessing work variables such as job demands, job control, social support, effort, reward, and overcommitment. Workaholism was also assessed together with eight different health-related outcomes. Although direct effects of the work stressors on health were found on most health outcomes, the work-related stressors were overall strongly related to workaholism (R² = 0.522), which, in turn, was positively related to four (anxiety/insomnia, somatic symptoms, emotional exhaustion, and social dysfunction) of the eight outcome variables. Of a total of 40 relationships between work-related stressors and health outcomes, workaholism fully mediated three of these, and partly mediated 12. Overall, the study suggests that the effects of work-related stressors on health in many cases may be mediated by workaholism.

Keywords: burnout; effort–reward imbalance; general health; insomnia; job demand–control–social support; workaholism.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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