Charzyńska, EdytaBuźniak, AleksandraCzerwiński, Stanisław KWoropay-Hordziejewicz, NataliaSchneider, ZuzannaAavik, ToivoAdamowic, MladenAdams, Byron GAl-Mahjoob, Sami MAlmoshawah, Saad A SArrowsmith, JimAsatsa, StephenAustin, StéphanieAziz, ShahnazBakker, Arnold BBalducci, CristianBarros, EduardoBălțătescu, SergiuBdier, DanaBhatia, NiteshBilic, SnezanaBoer, DianaCaspi, AvnerChaleeraktrakoon, TrawinChan, Connie I MChien, Chung-JenChoi, Hoon-SeokChoubisa, RajneeshClark, MarilynČekrlija, ĐorĐeDemetrovics, ZsoltDervishi, Eglantinade Zoysa, PiyanjaliDomínguez Espinosa, Alejandra Del CarmenDragova-Koleva, SonyaEfstathiou, VasilikiFernandez, Maria EugeniaFernet, ClaudeGadelrab, Hesham FGamsakhurdia, VladimerGarðarsdóttir, Ragna BenediktaGarrido, Luis EduardoGillet, NicolasGonçalves, Sónia PGriffiths, Mark DHakobyan, Naira RafikHalim, Fatimah WatiHansenne, MichelHasan, Bashar BanwanHerttalampi, MariHlatywayo, Clifford KHromatko, IvanaIgou, Eric RaymondIliško, DzintraIsayeva, UlkerIsmail, Hussein NabilJensen, Dorthe HøjKakupa, PaulKamble, ShanmukhKerriche, AhmedKubicek, BettinaKugbey, NuworzaKun, BernadetteLee, J HannahLisá, ElenaLisun, YaninaLupano Perugini, María LauraMarcatto, FrancescoMaslovarić, BiljanaMassoudi, KooroshMcFarlane, Tracy AMgaiwa, Samson JohnMoosavi Jahanabad, Seyyed TahaMoreta-Herrera, RodrigoOhtsubo, YohsukeÖzsoy, TuğbaØvergård, Kjell IvarPallesen, StåleParker, JanePlohl, NejcPontes, Halley MPotter, RachaelRoe, AlanSamekin, AdilSchulmeyer, Marion KSeisembekov, Telman ZSerrano-Fernández, María JoséShahrour, GhadaMatić, Jelena SladojevićSobhie, RositaSpagnoli, PaolaStory, JoanaSullman, Mark J MSultanova, LiliyaSun, RuimeiSuryani, Angela OktaviaSussman, SteveTeng-Calleja, MendiolaTorales, JulioVera Cruz, GermanoWu, Anise M SYang, XueZabrodska, KaterinaZiedelis, ArunasAtroszko, Paweł A2025-11-202025-11-202025-03-28Charzyńska, E, Buźniak, A, Czerwiński, S K, Woropay-Hordziejewicz, N, Schneider, Z, Aavik, T, Adamowic, M, Adams, B G, Al-Mahjoob, S M, Almoshawah, S A S, Arrowsmith, J, Asatsa, S, Austin, S, Aziz, S, Bakker, A B, Balducci, C, Barros, E, Bălțătescu, S, Bdier, D, Bhatia, N, Bilic, S, Boer, D, Caspi, A, Chaleeraktrakoon, T, Chan, C I M, Chien, C-J, Choi, H-S, Choubisa, R, Clark, M, Čekrlija, Đ, Demetrovics, Z, Dervishi, E, de Zoysa, P, Domínguez Espinosa, A D C, Dragova-Koleva, S, Efstathiou, V, Fernandez, M E, Fernet, C, Gadelrab, H F, Gamsakhurdia, V, Garðarsdóttir, R B, Garrido, L E, Gillet, N, Gonçalves, S P, Griffiths, M D, Hakobyan, N R, Halim, F W, Hansenne, M, Hasan, B B, Herttalampi, M, Hlatywayo, C K, Hromatko, I, Igou, E R, Iliško, D, Isayeva, U, Ismail, H N, Jensen, D H, Kakupa, P, Kamble, S, Kerriche, A, Kubicek, B, Kugbey, N, Kun, B, Lee, J H, Lisá, E, Lisun, Y, Lupano Perugini, M L, Marcatto, F, Maslovarić, B, Massoudi, K, McFarlane, T A, Mgaiwa, S J, Moosavi Jahanabad, S T, Moreta-Herrera, R, Ohtsubo, Y, Özsoy, T, Øvergård, K I, Pallesen, S, Parker, J, Plohl, N, Pontes, H M, Potter, R, Roe, A, Samekin, A, Schulmeyer, M K, Seisembekov, T Z, Serrano-Fernández, M J, Shahrour, G, Matić, J S, Sobhie, R, Spagnoli, P, Story, J, Sullman, M J M, Sultanova, L, Sun, R, Suryani, A O, Sussman, S, Teng-Calleja, M, Torales, J, Vera Cruz, G, Wu, A M S, Yang, X, Zabrodska, K, Ziedelis, A & Atroszko, P A 2025, 'The International Work Addiction Scale (IWAS) : A screening tool for clinical and organizational applications validated in 85 cultures from six continents', Journal of Behavioral Addictions, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 220-245. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.2025.000052062-5871237378964ac54f081-84a3-4bec-8faf-f1caeea30e0f39998574unpaywall: 10.1556/2006.2025.00005105002303417https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/7831Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s).BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Despite the last decade's significant development in the scientific study of work addiction/workaholism, this area of research is still facing a fundamental challenge, namely the need for a valid and reliable measurement tool that shows cross-cultural invariance and, as such, allows for worldwide studies on this phenomenon. METHODS: An initial 16-item questionnaire, developed within an addiction framework, was administered alongside job stress, job satisfaction, and self-esteem measures in a total sample of 31,352 employees from six continents and 85 cultures (63.5% females, mean age of 39.24 years). RESULTS: Based on theoretical premises and psychometric testing, the International Work Addiction Scale (IWAS) was developed as a short measure representing essential features of work addiction. The seven-item version (IWAS-7), covering all seven components of work addiction, showed partial scalar invariance across 81 cultures, while the five-item version (IWAS-5) showed it across all 85 cultures. Higher levels of work addiction on both versions were associated with higher job stress, lower job satisfaction, and lower self-esteem across cultures. The optimal cut-offs for the IWAS-7 (24 points) and IWAS-5 (18 points) were established with an overall accuracy of 96% for both versions. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The IWAS is a valid, reliable, and short screening scale that can be used in different cultures and languages, providing comparative and generalizable results. The scale can be used globally in clinical and organizational settings, with the IWAS-5 being recommended for most practical and clinical situations. This is the first study to provide data supporting the hypothesis that work addiction is a universal phenomenon worldwide.267427761220-245eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessAdultBehavior, Addictive/diagnosisCross-Cultural ComparisonFemaleHumansJob SatisfactionMaleMiddle AgedOccupational Stress/diagnosisPsychiatric Status Rating Scales/standardsPsychometrics/standardsReproducibility of ResultsSelf ConceptSurveys and Questionnaires/standards/dk/atira/pure/researchoutput/researchoutputtypes/contributiontojournal/article10.1556/2006.2025.00005