Workplace bullying, stress, burnout, and the role of perceived social support: findings from a Swedish national prevalence study in higher education

Abstract

ABSTRACT Being exposed to workplace bullying is a stressful experience commonly associated with detrimental mental health consequences. Social support however has shown to be protective against such negative effects of bullying. This study used cross-sectional survey data to ascertain the prevalence of workplace bullying and examine its interplay with stress, burnout, and perceived social support among employees of higher education institutions in Sweden. Data was collected online in 2021 from 15,080 employees (47.5% response rate) of 38 higher education institutions in Sweden. Frequency statistics showed that the prevalence of workplace bullying was relatively low among participants. Using hierarchical regressions, workplace bullying was found to be significantly positively associated with stress and burnout, respectively. Suggesting that as bullying increases, so does the experience of these outcomes. Moderation analyses showed that perceived social support moderated those relationships – reducing stress and burnout when bullying exposure was low to moderate. However, the protective benefits appear to fade when bullying intensity increases. This study provides the first glimpse into these specific occurrences within Swedish education settings. Future research that follows up on these findings is required, yet this study lays the base knowledge of understanding to be built upon.