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The Relationship of Study Addiction with Social Support and Satisfaction with Intimate Relationships

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Abstract

Study addiction was suggested to be a potential early form of work addiction, which is increasingly recognized as a behavioral addiction. Diminished social support is crucial in the addictive process, and pathological family and social functioning were so far found in relation to work addiction. However, there is still very limited data on the relationship between study addiction and social functioning. This study aimed to provide initial data to fill this gap. The total sample comprised 3206 students, 1770 (55.2%) female. It was gathered in consecutive research projects on study addiction carried out from 2013 to 2016. Bergen Study Addiction Scale, WHOQOL-based satisfaction with support from friends and satisfaction with intimate relations measures, and Ten-Item Personality Inventory and Mini-IPIP were used. The results were replicated in two subsamples in which different measures of personality were used. Regression analyses showed a significant association between study addiction and lower satisfaction with support from friends above and beyond demographics and personality, but not with satisfaction with intimate relations. In conclusion, study addiction is related to limited perceived social support, which may inform prevention and treatment approaches. The association with self-reported satisfaction with intimate relations may be attenuated by low insight and denial characteristic of addiction.

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Funding

On the basis of decision number DEC-2013/08/T/HS6/00403, Paweł Andrzej Atroszko received funds from the National Science Centre Poland within doctoral scholarship for preparing Ph.D. dissertation. This research was financed by the research grant under the project for young researchers and PhD students of University of Gdańsk (538-7422-B286-16).

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  1. University of Gdańsk, Bażyńskiego 4, 80-309, Gdansk, Poland

    Julia M. Godzwon, Magda K. Wielewska & Paweł A. Atroszko

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  1. Julia M. Godzwon
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  2. Magda K. Wielewska
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  3. Paweł A. Atroszko
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Contributions

JMG assisted with literature search, generation of the initial draft of the manuscript, manuscript preparation and editing, and final editing; MKW assisted with literature search, data interpretation, generation of the initial draft of the manuscript, manuscript preparation and editing; PAA assisted with obtaining funding, literature search, study design and concept, data collection, statistical analyses, data interpretation, manuscript preparation and editing, and final editing. All the authors have approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Paweł A. Atroszko.

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All the procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000. Informed consent was obtained from all the participants for being included in the study. The project was approved by the Research Ethics Committee at the Psychology Department of the University of Gdańsk.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Godzwon, J.M., Wielewska, M.K. & Atroszko, P.A. The Relationship of Study Addiction with Social Support and Satisfaction with Intimate Relationships. Int J Ment Health Addiction 22, 319–331 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-022-00874-2

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