Jun 17, 2016 06:45 AM EDT By Leah NY, UniversityHerald Reporter

Recent studies reveal that workaholism is strongly linked to mental disorders.

The research conducted showed that 25 percent of the participants were positive on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder while 11.9 percent non-workaholics had the same problem. 10 percent of them suffers from depression and 33.8 percent had anxiety and other related conditions. 32.7 percent were found to meet the criteria for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Questions were given to the patients regarding their response to the loss of free time to work and restriction from working. Cecilie Schou Andreassen, the leader of the study said that workaholic patients had higher symptoms of psychiatric disorder than the other participants.

"Taking work to the extreme may be a sign of deeper psychological or emotional issues," said Andreassen, CW6 San Diego reported.

But not because a person tend to work longer means he or she is a workaholic. Researchers had some arguments on the reality of the existence of such characteristics.

Steve Sussman, University of Southern California professor of social work and psychology said that there might be a lot of confusion with regards to the definition and symptoms of workaholism as the behavioral patterns are similar to those who have mental illnesses and addiction.

Researchers then developed the Bergen Work Addiction Scale criteria to identify whether the characteristics can be categorized as workaholism. The seven criteria are as follows:

1. Thinking how you can free up more time to work

2. Spending much more time working than initially intended

3. Working in order to reduce feelings of guilt, anxiety, helplessness or depression

4. Have been told by others to cut down on work without listening to them

5. Becoming stressed if you are prohibited from working

6. Deprioritizing hobbies, leisure activities, and/or exercise because of your work

7. Working so much that it has negatively influenced your health

A score of four means often and five means always. Scoring one to five on the minimum of four of the criteria means the examinee is positive on workaholism, Tech Times reported.

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