Abstract
To analyse the psychometric properties of the Dutch Work Addiction Scale in a sample of Portuguese nurses. A methodological study was conducted with 1,030 Portuguese nurses. A sociodemographic/professional questionnaire and the Dutch Work Addiction Scale applied between October and December 2019. The Confirmatory Factorial Analyses confirmed the factorial structure of two dimensions, namely Working Excessively (α = .730) and Working Compulsively (α = .752), grounded on the theoretical model of workaholism; the reliability values were considered adequate. Nurses presented a moderate level of workaholism, with a higher mean value for Working Excessively. The results raised the issue of workaholism and highlighted the need for further study. The Portuguese version of the DUWAS presented good psychometric characteristics and can be considered a valid and useful instrument to identify this problem.
Highlights
Changes in the workplace, such as the use of technologies and the shift to a green economy[1,2], have had a profound impact on modern society
In line with Oates and the theories of addiction, authors proposed a theoretical model and defined workaholics “as those who enjoy the act of working, who are obsessed with working, and who devote long hours and personal time to work”(6).Workaholism is defined “as the tendency to working excessively hard and being obsessed with work, which manifests itself in working compulsively”(7)
With nursing being a crucial occupation in modern societies, and considering that their psychological well-being affects patients and the quality of provided care, this study aims to analyse the psychometric properties of the Dutch Work Addiction Scale (Duwas)[7] in a sample of Portuguese nurses
Summary
Changes in the workplace, such as the use of technologies and the shift to a green economy[1,2], have had a profound impact on modern society. In considering the historical approach of workaholism as a scientific research problem, Oates (1971)(4) describes workaholism as an “uncontrollable need to work incessantly’ and a ‘person whose need for work has become so excessive that it creates noticeable disturbance or interference with his bodily health, personal happiness, and interpersonal relations, and with his smooth social functioning”. In 1992, a workaholic was defined “as a person who exhibits three properties: in comparison to others, the workaholic is highly work involved, feels compelled or driven to work because of inner pressures, and is low in the enjoyment of work”(5). In 2016, workaholism was described “as an addiction to work that involves feeling compelled or driven to work because of internal pressures, having persistent and frequent thoughts about work when not working, and working beyond what is reasonably expected (as established by the requirements of the job or basic economic needs) despite potential negative consequences[8].”
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