When studying becomes an obsession: the Studyholism Inventory Extended version (SI-15)

Studyholism is a new potential clinical condition characterized by high levels of obsessive-compulsive symptoms that might also be associated with high study engagement, which is a positive study-related behavior. Hence, the Studyholism Inventory (SI-10) has been created to evaluate both Studyholism and Study Engagement. We aim to expand the measurement of Studyholism by proposing an extended version of the SI-10, which evaluates Studyholism obsessive symptoms (like the SI-10), but also compulsive symptoms and social impairment. We created a pool of 45 items covering three hypothetical factors: Obsessions, Compulsions, and Social Impairment. Then, through Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis on 1047 Italian University students, we confirmed the three-factor solution for a 15-item version. The SI-15 showed a good fit (CFI = .97; RMSEA = .05), good internal consistency, and good convergent and divergent validity. Given that Studyholism is a new emerging construct, the SI-15 could be a useful instrument in further research to address its features and correlates. It could also be used to conduct an extended evaluation of students scoring high on the Studyholism subscale of the SI-10 to evaluate if they might benefit from a clinical interview and an intervention to reduce their obsessions and/or compulsions regarding studying.