Prevention and Treatment of Work Addiction

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the key areas of agreement and debate about workaholism, particularly its conceptualization, prevention, and treatment. The chapter integrates biomedical and health psychology perspectives with a view to challenging and advancing understanding on how to prevent people from developing a problematic relationship with work, and how best to support those experiencing the problem. The chapter begins by reviewing the conceptualization of workaholism, and then reviews the existing evidence concerning the main correlates and vulnerability factors. This discussion then leads to an exploration into alternative ways that workaholism can be theorized, in particular biopsychosocial models and critical theory of addiction. Building upon this combined theoretical perspective, the chapter ends by reviewing and speculating on different aspects of prevention and treatment according to the different stakeholders involved.