“As addictive behaviours have become more diverse and a part of our everyday lives, it is necessary to understand the motives behind these dependencies more precisely,” Hannu Jouhki says.
Escapism, or the desire to escape or avoid real-life problems or conflicts, can be driven by factors related to both psychological functioning and societal development. Rapidly advancing technology, the demands of market economy, and our era of individualism make life more demanding, measurable and stressful and requiring of increasing mental self-regulation.
“Intense experiences of pleasure are an effective way to take a break from mentally taxing issues. If substances or other pleasurable activities become a habit to avoid negative feelings, they can develop into addictions over time,” Jouhki explains.
The study found that escapism is more common among individuals who are impulsive and open to new experiences and feel that they are unable to act effectively, purposefully and autonomously. Jouhki examined the association between escapism and addictive behaviour using data representative of Finland’s adult population and longitudinal designs that underscore the significance of the findings.
The results of the article-based dissertation, consisting of three sub-publications, show that escapism is linked to alcohol use, smoking, drug use and excessive online gambling, digital gaming and internet use. A lack of a sense of autonomy or a feeling of incompetence were also found to strengthen the connection between escapism and certain addictions.
“Understanding escapism as an underlying cause of addictive behaviour helps people recovering from addictions and those living with them, as well as social work and healthcare professionals, to identify and address the root causes of dependencies,” Jouhki says.
Hannu Jouhki, who lives in Tampere, is the CEO of A-Clinic Foundation.
Public defence on Friday 16 May
Master of Social Sciences and Master of Science (Economics and Business Administration) Hannu Jouhki’s doctoral dissertation in the field of social psychology titled The Easy Way Out: Escapism as a central motive for addictions, will be publicly examined at Tampere University’s Faculty of Social Sciences at 12.00 o’clock on Friday 16 May 2025. The venue is auditorium D11 at the Main Building on the city centre campus (address: Kalevantie 4, Tampere). The opponent will be Professor Amanda Roberts (University of Lincoln, UK) while Professor Atte Oksanen from the Faculty of Social Sciences at Tampere University will act as the custos.