Problematic overstudying: Studyholism or study addiction?

Abstract

This commentary addresses Griffiths et al. (2018)’s sixth myth about work addiction. We agree that work addiction could also be spread in the school context, although we propose that problematic overstudying may be more similar to an obsession than to an addiction toward the study. We refer to the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria related to the obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) and the substance-use disorder, presenting some theoretical considerations related to the similarities and differences between problematic overstudying and these two diagnoses. Finally, we focus on the obsessive–compulsive personality disorder. We conclude that problematic overstudying might better be conceptualized as an OCD-related disorder.