Abstract
Workplace bullying adversely affects mental health, yet little is known about the outcomes for suicidal ideation. The current study used Australian population-based data to investigate the association between workplace bullying and suicidal ideation. The sample included 1488 employed participants aged 52–58 from wave 4 of the Personality and Total Health (PATH) Through Life Study. Workplace bullying was measured in two ways: (a) a single item asked about experiences of bullying ‘currently’, ‘previously in the current workplace’ and ‘in a past workplace’, and (b) 15 items asked about bullying behaviours experienced in the past 6 months. Suicidal ideation was measured using items from the Psychiatric Symptom Frequency Scale (PSF) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Psychosocial job quality, both current and prior, was adjusted for. Current and past experiences of workplace bullying were associated with increased risk of suicidal ideation. Current experiences were no longer associated after adjusting for concurrent indicators of psychosocial job stress, although a tendency for increased ideation remained. Reported prior experience of workplace bullying in a past workplace remained associated with higher odds of suicidal ideation after adjusting for prior psychosocial job stressors and excluding individuals with prior suicidal ideation. Being bullied at work is associated with increased risk of suicidal thoughts, although this occurs within the broader influence of other psychologically stressful employment conditions.
Highlights
Workplace bullying is a serious problem occurring in a variety of workplaces globally
In contrast to the substantial evidence base linking workplace bullying with common mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, far less research has explored the potential for increased suicidal ideation and behaviour
In Australia, an average of eight people die by suicide and a further 30 people attempt suicide every day [39]
Summary
Workplace bullying is a serious problem occurring in a variety of workplaces globally. In contrast to the substantial evidence base linking workplace bullying with common mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, far less research has explored the potential for increased suicidal ideation and behaviour. The second study indicated that only behaviour involving physical intimidation predicted suicidal ideation two and five years later [12] Neither of these longitudinal studies controlled for other work-related adverse psychosocial risk factors, such as job insecurity, low job control, or high job demands/intensity. Regardless of whether existing relevant studies are cross-sectional or longitudinal, the systematic review noted that far more research is needed to discern the extent to which bullying contributes to suicidal ideation independent of other psychosocial work-related factors, given that there is evidence of an association between psychosocial working conditions and suicidal ideation [14,15]. We exclude those who report past suicidal ideation (at a prior wave of data collection four years earlier) to more confidently assume onset
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