Abstract
ObjectiveWe aimed to provide an integrated picture of the relationship between different facets of adverse social behaviour (ASB) at work and mental health problem.MethodsData were provided from a longitudinal nationwide study of the general population in Norway. Eligible respondents were in paid work during a reference week in 2013, or temporarily absent from such work, and was interviewed at 3-year follow-up (n = 3654, response at baseline/follow-up = 53.1%/71.8%). We investigated the prospective associations of self-reported exposure to ASBs, including threats/acts of violence, bullying, sexual harassment and workplace conflicts, with mental distress (the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist) at follow-up, by means of multiple logistic regression.ResultsIn total, 6.6% (242 individuals) were classified with mental distress at follow-up. Work-related predictors were sexual harassment (OR = 1.64 07, 95% CI 1.03 − 2.61), bullying (OR = 2.07, 95% CI 1.19 − 3.60) and workplace conflicts (OR = 1.51, 95% CI 1.07 − 2.13). An elevated, but non-statistically significant association was observed for threats/acts of violence. No significant interactions were found between ASB and mental distress score at baseline. Overall there were few indications of substantial confounding related to age, sex, education level or occupation. After adjusting for these factors, the overall population attributable risk of mental distress attributable to any exposure to ASB was 11.3% (95%CI 0.6–22.3).ConclusionsWe observed robust associations between exposure to three out of four types of ASB and risk of mental distress. Taken together, the results underscore that adverse social behaviour at the workplace may have a substantial impact on the level of mental distress in the general working population.
Highlights
Mental disorders are among the leading causes of sickness absence and long-term work incapacity (Vigo et al 2016)
This study investigated the role of different facets of adverse social behaviour (ASB) at the workplace in the development of mental distress in a representative sample of the Norwegian workforce
But non-statistically significant association was observed for threats/acts of violence
Summary
Mental disorders are among the leading causes of sickness absence and long-term work incapacity (Vigo et al 2016). Over the past two decades, researchers have paid increasing attention to the relationship between different job characteristics and mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety and other stress-related conditions (Harvey et al 2017). Less attention has been devoted to the likely mental health consequences of adverse social behaviour (ASB) at ASB in the workplace has been defined as any act of physical and verbal violence and intimidation at work, and includes acts of sexual harassment, bullying, threats/acts of violence or verbal abuse. Judged by the number of systematic literature reviews, bullying appear as the most frequently studied aspect of ASB at the workplace. Based on a number of longitudinal studies
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