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Some people seem to be driven to work excessively and compulsively. These are denoted as work addicts - or workaholics.

Researchers from the University of Bergen have developed a new instrument to measure work addiction. The new instrument is based on core elements of addiction that are recognized as diagnostic criteria for several addictions.

"In the wake of globalisation, new technology and blurred boundaries between work and private life, we are witnessing an increase in work addiction," said University of Bergen's Cecilie Schou Andreassen, Ph.D.

12,135 Norwegian employees from 25 different industries participated in the development of the Bergen Work Addiction Scale.

The scale was administrated to two cross-occupational samples. The scale reflects the seven core elements of addiction: salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict, relapse and problems.

The Bergen Work Addiction Scale can reliably differentiate between those who were considered "workaholics" and those who were not considered "workaholics."

"By testing themselves with the scale, people can find out their degree of work addiction: non-addicted, mildly addicted or workaholic," Andreassen explained.

The scale may add value to work addiction research and practice, particularly when it comes to facilitating treatment and estimating prevalence of work addiction in the general population worldwide, according to Andreassen.

The Bergen Work Addiction Scale was recently presented in the Scandinavian Journal of Psychology.