Does Being Kind, Warm and Accepting Towards Yourself Affect Your Well-Being? A Study of Construction Apprentices in New Zealand

PurposeYoung Australian workers are at elevated risk of mental health and alcohol and other drug related problems. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between alcohol and drug (AOD) use, psychological wellbeing, and the workplace psychosocial environment among young apprentices in the construction industry.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional survey of a cohort of 169 construction industry apprentices in their first year of training was undertaken. The survey included measures of psychological distress (K10), quantity/frequency measures of alcohol and illicit drug use, and workplace psychosocial factors.FindingsConstruction industry apprentices are at elevated risk of AOD related harm and poor mental health. Levels of psychological distress and substance use were substantially higher than age/gender equivalent Australian population norms. Job stress, workplace bullying, and general social support accounted for 38.2 per cent of the variance in psychological distress. General social support moderated the effects of job stress and bullying on psychological distress. Substance use was not associated with psychological distress. However, workplace social support accounted for 2.1 per cent of the variance in AUDIT-C scores, and 2.0 per cent of the variance in cannabis use. Workplace bullying explained 2.4 per cent of the variance in meth/amphetamine use.Practical implicationsConstruction trades apprentices are a high-risk group for harmful substance use and poor mental health. Study results indicate that psychosocial wellbeing interventions are warranted as a harm reduction strategy.Originality/valueThis is the first study of its kind to describe a cohort of Australian construction trade apprentices in terms of their substance use and psychological wellbeing. The study shows workplace psychosocial factors may predict young workers psychological wellbeing.

To explore how workplace bullying influences nurses' abilities to provide patient care. Nurses' experiences of workplace bullying undermine nursing work environments and potentially threaten patient care. Although there is a link between nurses' experiences of workplace bullying and poor patient care, additional exploration is necessary as current evidence remains underdeveloped and inconclusive. Qualitative descriptive study. Fifteen inpatient staff nurses who have experienced workplace bullying while working in one hospital located in the southern region of the USA participated in individual, semi-structured interviews. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyse interview transcripts in NVivo 12 software. The COREQ checklist for qualitative studies has been used in reporting this study. Three themes, and respective subthemes, were generated from data analysis: (a) workplace bullying as part of the nursing work environment, (b) workplace bullying's influence on nurses and (c) workplace bullying's influence on patient care. Workplace bullying was perceived to be inherent in the nursing work environment; nurses felt that they were targets of workplace bullying because (a) they were new nurses, (b) there was an abuse of power, or (c) the nature of the work occasioned it. Nurses were mentally and emotionally influenced by the bullying. Some nurses perceived that workplace bullying did influence their ability to provide patient care; however, others did not. Organisations must support new nurses and manage relational attributes of the nursing work environment to reduce workplace bullying. Nursing leaders should receive education on fostering and sustaining favourable nursing work environments and be held accountable for behavioural expectations of the organisation. Understanding how nurses perceive the work environment to influence their experiences of workplace bullying informs the development of organisational interventions to reduce the behaviour. Furthermore, exploring how nurses' experiences of workplace bullying influences their abilities to provide patient care increases our understanding of workplace bullying implications.

Background: Globally, there is growing concern regarding workers’ illicit drug use and its implications for health and workplace safety. Young workers in male-dominated industries, such as construction, may be more susceptible to illicit drug use, risky drinking and its associated harms. Purpose/objectives: To investigate drug use and perceptions of risk among male construction workers, drawing comparisons between workers under 25 years with older age groups. Methods: Workers in Sydney, Australia (N = 511) completed a survey measuring past year illicit drug and alcohol use, psychological distress and perceptions of drug-related risks to health and safety. Prevalence in the total sample was compared with national estimates, and differences between younger and older survey respondents were examined using logistic regression models. Results: Survey respondents’ cocaine, meth/amphetamine and cannabis use was significantly higher than estimates of male employees nationally (OR = 6.60, 3.58, 1.61, respectively). Young workers ≤24 were more likely to frequently use illicit drugs, drink heavily, and report psychological distress than those aged 35+. Workers ≤24 were least likely to perceive that drug use posed high risks to health or safety when compared with 25-34 and 35+ age groups. Conclusions/importance: The findings highlight the high prevalence of illicit drug use amongst young construction workers, representing threats to workplace safety even if used outside work hours. Greater emphasis on potential adverse effects of alcohol and drug use and closer examination of contributory workplace factors are required. These findings have practical implications to inform occupational health and safety programs and interventions in high-risk workplaces.

Midwifery students’ knowledge, understanding and experiences of workplace bullying, and violence: An integrative review

Who Benefits and How: Five Dimensions of Adolescent Psychological Well-Being and Their Relative Impact on Cardiometabolic Health in Adulthood

Despite being a key provider of employment, construction work significantly contributes to poor mental health among young construction workers worldwide. Although there are studies on the psychosocial risk factors (PRFs) that make young construction workers susceptible to poor mental health, the literature is fragmented. This has obscured a deeper understanding of PRFs and the direction for future research, thus making it challenging to develop appropriate interventions. To address this challenge, we systematically reviewed the literature on young construction workers’ PRFs using meta-aggregation, guided by the PICo, PEO, and PRISMA frameworks. We sought to synthesize the domains of PRFs that affect young construction workers’ mental health, and to determine the relationships between the PRF domains, psychological distress, and poor mental health. A total of 235 studies were retrieved and 31 studies published between 1993 and 2020 met the inclusion criteria. We identified 30 PRFs and categorized them into ten domains, which were further classified into personal, socio-economic, and organizational/industrial factors. The findings of this review contribute to achieving an in-depth understanding of young construction workers’ PRF domains and their patterns of interaction. The findings are also useful to researchers and policymakers for identifying PRFs that are in critical need of attention.

Background1Little is known of the extent of workplace bullying in Malaysia, despite its growing recognition worldwide as a serious public health issue in the workplace. Workplace bullying is linked to stress-related health issues, as well as socioeconomic consequences which may include absenteeism due to sick days and unemployment. We sought to examine the prevalence of workplace bullying and its association with socioeconomic factors and psychological distress in a large observational study of Malaysian employees.MethodsThis study employed cross-sectional, self-reported survey methodology. We used the 6-item Kessler screening scale (K6) to assess psychological distress (cutoff score ≥ 13, range 0–24, with higher scores indicating greater psychological distress). Participants self-reported their perceptions of whether they had been bullied at work and how frequently this occurred. A multivariate logistic regression was conducted with ever bullying and never bullying as dichotomous categories.ResultsThere were a total of 5235 participants (62.3% female). Participant ages ranged from 18 to 85, mean ± standard deviation (M ± SD): 33.88 ± 8.83. A total of 2045 (39.1%) participants reported ever being bullied. Of these, 731 (14.0%) reported being subject to at least occasional bullying, while another 194 (3.7%) reported it as a common occurrence. Across all income strata, mean scores for psychological distress were significantly higher for ever bullied employees (M ± SD: 8.69 ± 4.83) compared to those never bullied (M ± SD: 5.75 ± 4.49). Regression analysis indicated significant associations (p < 0.001) between workplace bullying with being female (Adjusted OR (aOR) = 1.27, 95% CI 1.12–1.44), higher individual income levels of between RM4,000 to RM7,999 (aOR =1.24, 95% CI 1.06–1.45) and RM8,000 and above (aOR = 1.31, 95% CI 1.10–1.56), and psychological distress (aOR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.13–1.16).ConclusionsMore than one in three employees reported having experienced workplace bullying, which was found to be specifically associated with being female, drawing a higher income, and greater psychological distress. In general, low individual income was associated with greater psychological distress. However, higher income employees were far more likely to report experiencing workplace bullying. Findings from this study offer relevant insight into the associations between socioeconomic status and psychological distress in workplace bullying.

BackgroundAlthough previous studies have identified that workplace bullying causes serious mental health problems to the victims, it is not yet fully investigated moderating factors on the association between workplace bullying and psychological distress. This longitudinal study, therefore, examined the moderating role of organizational resources such as supervisor support or coworker support as well as individual resources such as stress coping styles or personal resilience on the association.MethodsA prospective cohort study for 2036 civil servants was conducted with a one-year time lag (follow-up rate: 77.2%). At baseline, Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised, Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, Brief Scales for Coping Profile, and Brief Job Stress Questionnaire were used to measure workplace bullying, personal resilience, stress coping styles, and social support, respectively. Psychological distress was measured using K6 both at baseline and follow-up.ResultsThe results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that workplace bullying was associated with subsequent increased psychological distress even after adjusting for individual and occupational characteristics, but its association disappeared after adjusting for psychological distress at baseline. After adjusting for psychological distress at baseline, greater resilience, greater seeking help, greater changing view, and lower avoidance were associated with lower subsequent psychological distress when being bullied. In contrast, worksite social support and family/friends support was not associated with lower subsequent psychological distress when being bullied. A significant interaction effect of workplace bullying and changing mood was observed on subsequent psychological distress.ConclusionsThe effects or moderating factors were limited on the longitudinal association between bullying and mental health because psychological distress at baseline was the strongest predictor of subsequent psychological distress.

Mental health in the workplace is an emerging public health concern, particularly for young workers who may experience challenges that contribute to psychological distress. This study examined the associations between loneliness, work environment, and depressive symptoms among young workers in Seoul, South Korea. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among young workers in Seoul to assess workplace conditions, job satisfaction, workplace bullying, and depressive symptoms. Negative binomial regression analysis was used to evaluate the associations between selected workplace factors, including job-major alignment, commute time, workplace bullying, job satisfaction, and mental health outcomes. A negative association was found between job satisfaction and depressive symptoms, and a positive association was found between workplace bullying and depressive symptoms. Job-major alignment and commute time were not significantly related to depressive symptoms. The findings also highlighted a meaningful relationship between workplace social connections and loneliness among young workers. These results suggest that workplace conditions, such as job satisfaction and social climate, may be important factors in understanding depressive symptoms among younger working populations. Given that the data were limited to young workers in Seoul, future research should adopt a longitudinal design and conduct comparative studies across different regions and countries to gain a more comprehensive understanding of workplace mental health.

Background: Workplace bullying is a severe and widespread occupational problem that negatively affects individuals, organizations, and societies. Studies have shown that national culture influences the way bullying is understood and experienced across different countries. However, our understanding of the cross-cultural variations in workplace bullying is still lacking. This study aimed to compare nurses’ experiences of workplace bullying in two culturally distinct countries: Turkey and Sweden. Methods: Using a qualitative design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nurses (21 Turkish, 16 Swedish) who identified themselves as targets and/or bystanders of workplace bullying. Data were collected during 2019/2020 and analyzed using the deductive content analysis method. Results: There were many similarities between the Turkish and Swedish nurses in their reports of the most common types, antecedents, effects of, and target responses to workplace bullying. Differences were observed between countries concerning the source of bullying and in bystander responses. Conclusion: The findings emphasize that workplace bullying is a serious problem in the nursing profession across cultures and attention should be paid to cultural factors in understanding the varying bullying-related experiences of nurses. Healthcare organizations should therefore consider developing tailor-made interventions that fit their local cultural contexts to deal with workplace bullying in a more effective way.

While transformation in the higher education sector in South Africa has been the subject of intensive research since 1994, few studies have explored the link between workplace bullying and transformation. Whereas workplace bullying has drawn researchers’ attention for decades, it is only recently that scholars have started to interrogate the phenomenon through the intersectional lens. This paper employs intersectionality to explore women academics’ experiences of workplace bullying and to suggest links between workplace bullying and gender transformation in the higher education sector in South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a cross-section of 25 women academics who had experienced workplace bullying. As part of data triangulation, four union representatives and three human resources practitioners were also interviewed. The study’s main findings indicate that gender, race and class mediate women academics’ experiences of workplace bullying. In historically White universities, African, Coloured and Indian women academics, particularly those from working-class backgrounds, are more likely to be bullied, by seniors, peers, administrators and students. For White women academics, race ameliorates their workplace bullying experiences. The simultaneous effects of race, gender and class derail transformation as members of previously disadvantaged groups either remain stuck in junior academic positions, or exit the sector.

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has spread throughout the world. Poor mental health has been reported among healthcare professionals responding to COVID-19. However, no study has examined the impact of COVID-19-related workplace bullying or patient aggression on the mental health of healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 outbreak. This study examined the prevalence of COVID-19-related workplace bullying and patient aggression and its association with psychological distress among healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 outbreak in Japan. This was a cross-sectional study conducted from May 22 to 26, 2020, inviting participants (n = 1,421) from an online survey of full-time employees. We limited the sample to healthcare professionals for further analyses. Using an online self-report questionnaire, workplace bullying and patient aggression related to COVID-19 was measured using nine items with dichotomous response options. Psychological distress was measured using the Japanese version of Brief Job Stress Questionnaire. Among 1,032 participants (72.6%) who completed the survey, 111 healthcare professionals were identified. Among them, 19 participants (17.1%) had experienced any COVID-19-related workplace bullying or patient aggression: 11 participants (9.9%) had experienced any workplace bullying and 12 participants (10.8%) had experienced any patient aggression. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that any bullying or patient aggression related to COVID-19 significantly correlated with psychological distress. It was suggested that a non-negligible proportion of participants experienced workplace bullying or patient aggression related to COVID-19. Preventing and reducing workplace bullying and patient aggression may be effective in improving mental health of healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Health status of young construction workers in the Global South: The case of Ghana

We sought to investigate the contextual effect of workplace bullying on subsequent individual psychological distress and intention to leave. A longitudinal study was conducted among 3142 Japanese employees in the public sector. Both the baseline and follow-up questionnaires inquired about demographic and occupational characteristics, workplace bullying, psychological distress, and intention to leave. The results of three-level (individual-division-department) multilevel analyses revealed that division-level workplace bullying was associated with increased individual-level psychological distress after adjustment for individual experience of workplace bullying, while the association between individual experience of bullying and psychological distress was not statistically significant in the same model. The results of the current study suggest that the presence of bullying in the workplace can have a detrimental effect on employees' mental health even if they are not personally victimized.

The link between workplace bullying and impaired employee psychological health is well established. Insights into the role of cognitive processes in reaction to stressful events, as well as personality traits in this relationship, remain scarce. In this study, we investigated moderated mediation models that link workplace bullying with employee well-being and mood. The study employs both cross-sectional and longitudinal methodologies within the same group of employees with workplace bullying experience (n = 59). Results from a cross-sectional survey show that affective rumination fully mediates the link between workplace bullying and employee well-being. Contrarily, findings from a daily diary study indicate that day-to-day variations in bullying experiences do not affect the subsequent morning mood. Thus, workplace bullying primarily acts through affective ruminative thinking rather than having a direct effect, especially on individuals low in neuroticism. These insights contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the relevance of repetitive cognitive processes and personality traits as mechanisms that link workplace bullying with psychological well-being. Implications include the need for a better understanding of the accumulation processes of persistent ruminative thought and the relevance of stressor pile-up to explain spillover effects into the next day in order to understand long-term health impairment.