Moral harassment in university hospital of Marrakesh: Epidemiological investigation

Abstract

Introduction: moral harassment in the workplace is a growing phenomenon worldwide. Leymann defined it as a form of psychological terrorism that manifests itself over a relatively long period of hostile words or actions expressed or manifested by one or more people towards a third person (target) at work. It causes damaging consequences on the mental and physical workers health, with negative economic impacts on the company. Objectives: our objective was to study the epidemiological characteristics, the clinical aspects, and the consequences of moral harassment among the medical and paramedical staff of the Mohammed VI university hospital in Marrakech. Methods: We carried out a descriptive transversal study over six months covering 329 caregivers working at the Mohammed VI university hospital in Marrakech. The support of the investigation was an individual, and a strictly anonymous questionnaire containing the French version validated by the questionnaire of Leymann entitled Leymann Inventory of Psychological Terror; sociodemographic, mental health, and professional data were also collected. Results: In our study, the prevalence of moral harassment was 27.5%, according to Leymann's criteria (exposure to at least one situation, at least once a week for at least six months). Moral violence targets were between 25 to 35 years old (76%) and less than five years seniority (55%). The victims were represented mainly by residents (65.5%) and interns (33%). There was no correlation between sex and exposure to psychological violence (p=0,36). The supervisor was the main harasser (80%). Anxiety, depression, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder had been the most observed consequences on the mental health of victims. Conclusion: Moral harassment at work seems, by its prevalence, to invade the hospital environment, and young doctors constitute a particular target. Exposure to this phenomenon has a negative impact on an individual's mental health. Our results are alarming enough to prompt us to continue investigating and put in place recommendations to limit and prevent the consequences.