Studyholism or Study Addiction? A comprehensive model for a possible new clinical condition

This chapter aims to introduce a potential new clinical condition, namely Studyholism (or obsession toward study), going beyond the addiction framework that has been used by Atroszko, Andreassen, Griffiths, and Pallesen (2015) to define Study Addiction. Based on a critical analysis of the literature about workaholism, we developed a theoretical model for Studyholism and we highlighted its differences with Study Addiction. First, we defined Studyholism as a three-factor construct characterized by: (1) externalizing (or addiction-like) symptoms; (2) internalizing (or obsessive-compulsive) symptoms; and (3) low study engagement. However, preliminary analyses conducted on the pilot version of the test developed to measure Studyholism showed that it is characterized instead by internalizing symptoms and low study engagement only (or that it is a two-factor construct). Moreover, we proposed that not all heavy students are studyholics, distinguishing between engaged students, engaged studyholics and disengaged studyholics. Secondly, based on the workaholism literature, we propose a comprehensive model of Studyholism which includes both possible antecedents and outcomes of Studyholism and suggests analyzing those antecedents and outcomes distinguishing between engaged and disengaged studyholics. Finally, specifically regarding antecedents, this model suggests analyzing the interaction between individual and situational factors (in particular, a climate that fosters overstudying). Although Studyholism and Study Addiction are related to the same behavior (i.e., studying), they are not the same construct, since Studyholism goes beyond conceptualization merely as an addiction, indicating the presence of obsessive-compulsive related symptoms and the importance of considering study engagement too.