The psychic dynamics of workaholism in education

Workaholism is understood as excessive behavior and hyperactivity in response to excessive professional demands, a situation that impacts mental health. With the aim of identifying and understanding the psychological dynamics of workaholic teachers, 76 university professors were surveyed, who responded to a socioeconomic and occupational questionnaire and two scales, DUWAS and EACT. Seventeen teachers were classified as excessive workers, eight as compulsive workers, and seven as workaholics, psychological dynamics linked to a flawed work organization, supported by a professional and institutional culture that values sacrifice and meritocracy. Based on behaviors aligned with the ideology of servitude, teachers use excessive defenses and work compulsively to achieve the organizational ideal, reaching subjective annihilation expressed in work addiction, only tolerated by masochistic defense/functioning. The promotion of mental health is only possible with the formation of a political work organization that favors professional recognition. https://doi.org/10.21723/riaee.v20i00.1939602

Ideology · Mental health · Occupational stress · Politics · Psychic · Perfectionism, Procrastination, Anxiety Studies · Work-Family Balance Challenges · Workaholism, burnout, and well-being