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

Abstract

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.

Identifying individual vulnerabilities and problematic behaviors hindering musicians’ development: Obsessive–compulsive personality disorder versus study addiction

“…It is particularly evident in relation to OCPD, in which case it was substantially more strongly associated with well-being and loneliness than a personality disorder. Similar, the independent effects of study addiction on well-being were found in a study of its associations with eating disorders (Woropay-Hordziejewicz et al, 2022).…”

“…These results are congruent with (1) the theoretical framework conceptualizing study addiction as a construct separate from OCPD (P. A. Atroszko, 2022b); (2) previous studies showing its considerable negative association with well-being among music academy students (Czerwiński et al, 2022;Lawendowski et al, 2020), as well as high-school and general undergraduate student samples (P. A. Atroszko, 2022aAtroszko, , 2022bWróbel, 2020); and (3) results showing the negative effects of study addiction on wellbeing independently of other mental health problems such as eating disorders (Woropay-Hordziejewicz et al, 2022). The current results also strongly support the previously emphasized need to control for learning engagement whenever study addiction is investigated and vice versa (P. A.…”

“…Study addiction and OCPD co-occur with anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety disorder and social phobia), affective disorders (unipolar disorders), and eating disorders (Diedrich & Voderholzer, 2015; Woropay-Hordziejewicz et al, 2022). Study addiction and OCPD may share many risk factors such as family dynamics, including parental dominance, overcontrol, intrusiveness, lack of secure attachments, reduced care, and excessive overprotection during childhood, resulting in the failure to develop emotionally and empathetically (P.…”

“…Previous studies have found that study addiction among young musicians is associated with worse psychosocial functioning (higher perceived stress, anxiety and depression, lower general health, lower quality of life, lower quality of sleep), and fear of evaluation in the form of social anxiety, music performance anxiety, and test anxiety (P.A. Atroszko, Wróbel, et al, 2019; Czerwiński et al, 2022; Lawendowski et al, 2020; Woropay-Hordziejewicz et al, 2022). Among musicians who show high grit, coexisting study addiction may turn their tenacity into maladaptive perseverance, potentially leading to health problems and lower quality of life (Czerwiński et al, 2022).…”

Problematic overstudying, Big Five personality, and music performance anxiety: associations with well-being and GPA

“…Problematic overstudying has been conceptualized as an early form of work addiction which has a relatively long-standing history of research (Atroszko, 2015(Atroszko, , 2022a. Problematic overstudying has also been called "study addiction" (Atroszko et al, 2015) or "compulsive study behaviour" (Woropay- Hordziejewicz et al, 2022). So far, systematic studies, including cross-cultural longitudinal surveys, substantiate that study addiction is an early form of work addiction (Atroszko et al, 2016a; see Atroszko, 2022a).…”