a.buźniak | Koło Badań Psychologicznych Experior

Identifying individual vulnerabilities and problematic behaviours hindering musicians’ development: Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder vs. study addiction

Opublikowane w Musicae Scientiae (140 pkt. wg. MEiN)

Autorzy: Paweł Atroszko, Aleksandra Buźniak, Natalia Woropay-Hordziejewicz, Michał Kierzkowski, Rafał Lawendowski

Streszczenie:

Individual vulnerabilities, such as particular personality characteristics, may be important risk factors that can hinder the development of young musicians and affect their professional careers. This study aimed to examine the relationship between obsessive–compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) and rigid perfectionism, study addiction, and well-being among music students. It was hypothesized that OCPD is a strong risk factor for addictive studying; compulsive learning, however, is an addictive disorder with its own etiology, symptomatology, epidemiology, and course. A total of 255 students from various music academies in Poland participated in the study. It used the Bergen Study Addiction Scale, assessing seven core addiction symptoms related to studying; Five-Factor Obsessive Compulsive Inventory; Perceived Stress Scale; Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; Three-Item Loneliness Scale; and a single-item measure of learning engagement. Both study addiction and OCPD showed positive relationships with stress, anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Multiple hierarchical regression analyses showed that study addiction was related to well-being above and beyond OCPD and was more strongly associated with compromised functioning. Furthermore, mediation analyses indicated that study addiction is a full mediator between OCPD and stress, as well as loneliness, and a partial mediator for anxiety and depression. Moderation analyses revealed that OCPD was related to well-being only for those participants who scored low for study addiction. There was no significant relationship between OCPD and well-being for participants who scored high for study addiction. These results strongly indicate that OCPD is an important risk factor for study addiction although these are different disorders. Like students with high levels of OCPD, students with high levels of study addiction but low levels of OCPD experience reduced well-being. The polythetic cut-off score showed that 24.6% of young musicians could be addicted to studying. Due to the high prevalence of this disorder, further systematic studies among young musicians are highly warranted to prevent and provide better help with the problem.

Słowa kluczowe: anxiety, depression, well-being, loneliness, learning engagement, work addiction, workaholism

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Biofeedback EEG in the prevention of compulsive work-related behaviors and reduction of their negative consequences: Preliminary results and barriers to providing support

Opublikowane w Journal of Behavioral Addictions (140 pkt. wg. MEiN)

Autorzy: Paweł Atroszko, Natalia Woropay-Hordziejewicz, Aleksandra Buźniak, Aleksandra Wybrańska, Anna Brykała, Klaudia Bochniarz, Piotr Luszuk, Krzysztof Jankowski, Julia Mackiewicz, Aleksandra Cupta, Gabriela Szczepańska

Streszczenie:

The study aimed to examine the effectiveness of alpha wave relaxation training using Biofeedback EEG for reducing compulsive work-related behaviors, associated with difficulties in relaxing, and their negative consequences and investigate the potential barriers to providing support. Biofeedback EEG is effective in developing the ability to relax and reduce stress. Similar studies among people addicted to substances showed an anxiety reduction and decreased consumption.

Methods: The invitations to the screening surveys were sent to employees via employers and students via universities in Tricity in Poland. Individuals that scored above the established cut-off score on Bergen Work Addiction Scale or Bergen Study Addiction Scale received feedback with information about the possibility of participating in a free EEG-Biofeedback relaxation training.

Results: The preliminary results showed that 189 of 705 (27%) of the administration staff at one of the employers who all received invitation emails completed the survey. Of them, 53 (28%) had results above the cut-off score for work addiction, with 23 (43%) having the highest possible score on burnout and 47 (89%) having a very high score on burnout. However, only one person (> 2%) applied for the free training sessions. Results of the EEG-Biofeedback sessions will be available in the mid-2023.

Conclusions: Individuals at risk or addicted to work rarely seek help even when it is easily available and free. Compulsive overworking and its negative consequences need wider recognition to enable support-seeking among those affected. Early prevention programs constitute feasible cost/effective solutions, overcoming barriers typical for adult working populations.

Słowa kluczowe: biofeedback, workaholism, barriers, stress, relaxation, work addiction

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Validity, Reliability, and Cross-Cultural Comparability of a Problematic Overstudying Scale across European, North American, and Asian countries

Opublikowane w International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction (40 pkt. wg. MEiN)

Autorzy: Paweł Atroszko, Edyta Charzyńska, Aleksandra Buźniak, Stanisław Czerwiński, Mark D. Griffiths, Anna Jankowska, Shanmukh Vasant Kamble, Zuzanna Mizik, Halley M. Pontes, Jacob Shane, Steve Sussman, Natalia Woropay-Hordziejewicz, Ståle Pallesen

Streszczenie:

Problematic overstudying has been conceptualized as a potential addictive disorder and an early form of work addiction. Previous studies have shown that it is a different phenomenon from healthy learning engagement and is associated with considerable functional impairments. A valid, reliable, and convenient screening measure is warranted to provide cross-culturally comparable and generalizable findings, particularly from large epidemiological studies. The seven-item Bergen Study Addiction Scale (BStAS), based on an addiction framework, was administered alongside learning engagement and anxiety measures in a total sample of 5,884 university students from three continents and five countries: India, Norway, Poland, Portugal, and the United States. The modified five-item version of the scale showed measurement invariance across countries and between genders and allowed for meaningful cross-cultural and gender comparisons. Scores on the BStAS were positively associated with learning engagement, anxiety, and female gender across countries. Clinically significant anxiety levels occurred about 1.7 times more often among students who scored above the cutoff for study addiction. It is concluded that the five-item BStAS is a valid, reliable scale that can be used in different cultures and provides comparable and generalizable results. Future studies with the BStAS may provide greater insight into the nature of problematic overstudying.

Słowa kluczowe: Bergen Study Addiction Scale, Cross-cultural, Overstudying, Study addiction, Workaholism, Work addiction

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Experior na ISSC 2023

Członkowie „Experiora” dumnie reprezentowali Koło podczas 28^th International Student Scientific Conference odbywającej się w Gdańsku na Uniwersytecie Medycznym w dniach 13-15 kwietnia 2023 roku.

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Alarmingly high prevalence and lack of gender differences in ADHD among high school students: Screening for ADHD with ASRS among adolescents and working adults

Opublikowane w Current Problems of Psychiatry (70 pkt. wg. MEiN)

Autorzy: Aleksandra Buźniak, Natalia Woropay-Hordziejewicz, Aleksandra Bereznowska, Paweł Atroszko

Streszczenie:

Introduction: The aim was to examine the psychometric properties of the Polish version of the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) among adolescents and adult working populations of different genders, the prevalence of ADHD, and its relationship to stress.

Materials and methods: A sample of 723 professionally active people and 1744 high school students participated in the study. Part A of the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) was used to measure ADHD and the 4-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4) was used to measure stress.

Results: Confirmatory factor analyses showed that the original 6-item two-factor solution of ASRS Part A had a satisfactory fit and showed basic measurement invariance between age groups and genders. Inattention and hyperactivity were related mostly similarly to stress in all groups. The prevalence of ADHD among adolescents was much higher than in previous reports, and no gender differences were found. About every fifth high school student and every tenth adult showed a risk of ADHD. The potential cause of the difference in the prevalence in the studied groups can be generation change.

Conclusions: ASRS is a well-functioning screening measure with good psychometric properties. It is a convenient option for large-scale epidemiological surveys necessary to understand potential generational changes in the prevalence of ADHD and the lack of gender differences among adolescents.

Słowa kluczowe: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, measurement invariance, stress prevalence, validity, reliability

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Compulsive Study Behaviors Are Associated with Eating Disorders and Have Independent Negative Effects on Well-Being: A Structural Equation Model Study among Young Musicians

Opublikowane w Sustainability, czasopiśmie z Impact Factor = 3.889 (100 pkt. wg. MEiN)

Autorzy:
Natalia A. Woropay-Hordziejewicz, Aleksandra Buźniak, Rafał Lawendowski, Paweł A. Atroszko

Streszczenie:

Compulsive overworking and eating disorders (EDs) show considerable similarities in terms of risk factors (e.g., rigid perfectionism), clinical manifestation (e.g., excessive controlling behaviors), and consequences (e.g., physical exhaustion and depression). This study aimed to examine the hypotheses that compulsive study behaviors (conceptualized as study addiction) are related to EDs and that they have independent negative effects on well-being among young musicians, who constitute a highly vulnerable population for these types of problematic behaviors. The relatively high prevalence of study addiction and its pronounced negative relationship with psychosocial functioning make it a pending challenge for sustainable education. A total of 255 students from various music academies in Poland took part in the study. The Bergen Study Addiction Scale, assessing compulsive studying (conceptualized as addictive behavior), the Eating Attitude Test-26 (EAT-26), the Perceived Stress Scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the quality-of-life measure were used. A structural equation model was investigated. Study addiction was positively related to the general factor of EDs and the social pressure component. Both problematic behaviors showed negative and independent effects on the well-being of young musicians. EDs may be 8 to 16 times more prevalent among the students of music academies who are addicted to studying than among the general population. About 80% of those students showing all seven symptoms of study addiction exhibited at least mild depression, while more than half had clinically significant levels of depression. Almost 90% had clinically significant levels of anxiety. Without addressing co-occurring study addiction and eating disorders, including their commonalities and idiosyncrasies, their prevention and treatment cannot be effective and it will substantially affect the sustainability of education and work.

Słowa kluczowe: anxiety; depression; feeding and eating disorders; study addiction; work addiction; workaholism

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