Irrational beliefs as psychosocial risk of work addiction from the perspective of Occupational Health Psychology

Abstract

The main objective of this research is to identify the obsessive, recurrent or intrusive beliefs of people with high risk of work addiction and who become psychosocial risk factors derived from salaried work that facilitate, maintain and reinforce the worker's addictive behavior. The methodology was cross-descriptive with the application of a structured group interview, to a population sample of 8 employees of the educational services sector. The results show that personal characteristics (ideas of perfectionism, use of free time, need for social approval, feeling guilty, fear of losing work and generalized anxiety), along with the organizational characteristics of the job (tasks and responsibilities) and of employment in general, as well as the process of organizational socialization and the management of interpersonal relationships with commanders are triggers of addictive behavior. The conclusions indicate that the addictive behavior of the salaried workers of this educational institution is configured as an ineffective coping strategy (based on a set of obsessive ideas and compulsive behavior (repetitive and irrational) against the anguish and stress generated by the fear of losing work (perception of high job instability).

Keywords

• Addiction to work
• psychosocial risk
• occupational health and work psychology