The survey of 1,003 people across six professional groups, carried out by the Centre for Social Prevention in cooperation with the Institute of Psychology at the Higher School of Vocational Education in Wrocław, found that 7.8 percent openly admitted to being addicted to work.
But when researchers applied diagnostic criteria, the share rose to 20 percent.
Sociologist Mariusz Z. Jędrzejko, who led the study, said workaholism in Poland is rooted less in poverty than in ambition and financial obligations.
"The sources are largely material and economic – mortgages, leasing payments, the need for prestige and comparison with others," he said.
The highest rates were found in medicine, law, transport and construction.
More than half of couriers reported working around 11 hours a day, while many self-employed builders said they worked up to 16 hours daily, including weekends.
Among professionals such as carpenters and mechanics, perfectionism often drove similar patterns.
In media and entertainment, Jędrzejko noted, overwork is often described as "passion" but masks the same compulsions.
The study also found high levels of substance use accompanying chronic overwork.
More than 70 percent of entertainment industry respondents said they drank alcohol daily, while nearly half of lawyers reported the same.
Jędrzejko warned that the personal cost is steep, with family life and health suffering.
Therapists increasingly see couples who struggle to reconnect after years of what he called "long-distance marriages" within the same household.
He described mortgages as "a leash" driving people to overwork, noting one respondent who must pay instalments exceeding the national average salary until retirement.
Unlike alcohol, "you can’t just quit a loan," he said.
Researchers recommend creating "golden islands" in daily routines – small periods of rest such as walks, offline weekends or short breaks – to disrupt the cycle.
The next stages of the research will focus on psychoactive substances and behavioural addictions, assessing their impact on families and whether workaholics form a higher-risk group for other dependencies.
(ał)
Source: PAP