Workplace bullying, symptoms of anxiety and the interaction with leadership quality – a longitudinal study using dynamic panel models with fixed effects
OBJECTIVES: Workplace bullying has been suggested to increase symptoms of anxiety. A reverse relationship has also been proposed. However, so far only few earlier studies have investigated this topic and the reported associations might partly be explained by unmeasured individual characteristics. In...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nordic Association of Occupational Safety and Health (NOROSH)
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health |
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| Online Access: |
https://www.sjweh.fi/show_abstract.php?abstract_id=4060
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| _version_ | 1828084263023542272 |
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| author | Rebecka Holmgren Kathrine Sørensen Louise Dalsager Reiner Rugulies Viveca Östberg Linda L Magnusson Hanson |
| author_facet | Rebecka Holmgren Kathrine Sørensen Louise Dalsager Reiner Rugulies Viveca Östberg Linda L Magnusson Hanson |
| author_sort | Rebecka Holmgren |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | OBJECTIVES: Workplace bullying has been suggested to increase symptoms of anxiety. A reverse relationship has also been proposed. However, so far only few earlier studies have investigated this topic and the reported associations might partly be explained by unmeasured individual characteristics. In this study, we aim to examine the temporality and directionality between workplace bullying and anxiety symptoms, taking time-invariant characteristics into account. Furthermore, we aim to examine whether leadership quality modifies these associations. METHODS: We included 13 491 individuals from two nationwide cohort studies in Sweden and Denmark. Using cross-lagged structural equation models (SEM) and dynamic panel models with fixed effects, we examined contemporaneous and lagged associations between self-reported workplace bullying and anxiety. Cohort-specific results were estimated and combined using fixed-effect meta-analysis. RESULTS: The cross-lagged SEM models supported contemporaneous and lagged relationships in both directions (from workplace bullying to symptoms of anxiety and vice versa). In contrast, only contemporaneous relationships remained statistically significant and of considerable magnitude in the dynamic panel models with fixed effects. Specifically, exposure to workplace bullying was related to a concurrent increase in anxiety symptoms (b=0.61, 95% confidence interval 0.32–0.90). No support of interaction with leadership quality was found. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that onset of workplace bullying is associated with an immediate or short-term increase in anxiety symptoms. This study provides novel insights regarding temporal aspects and causal inference of the bullying-anxiety relationship useful for managing psychological hazards and preventing mental illness at work. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T04:22:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0317194fdf34459ca791acfc5ef623ee |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0355-3140 1795-990X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T04:22:20Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Nordic Association of Occupational Safety and Health (NOROSH) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-0317194fdf34459ca791acfc5ef623ee2022-12-30T12:15:03ZengNordic Association of Occupational Safety and Health (NOROSH)Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health0355-31401795-990X2023-01-01491647410.5271/sjweh.40604060Workplace bullying, symptoms of anxiety and the interaction with leadership quality – a longitudinal study using dynamic panel models with fixed effectsRebecka Holmgren0Kathrine SørensenLouise DalsagerReiner RuguliesViveca ÖstbergLinda L Magnusson HansonStress Research Institute at Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.OBJECTIVES: Workplace bullying has been suggested to increase symptoms of anxiety. A reverse relationship has also been proposed. However, so far only few earlier studies have investigated this topic and the reported associations might partly be explained by unmeasured individual characteristics. In this study, we aim to examine the temporality and directionality between workplace bullying and anxiety symptoms, taking time-invariant characteristics into account. Furthermore, we aim to examine whether leadership quality modifies these associations. METHODS: We included 13 491 individuals from two nationwide cohort studies in Sweden and Denmark. Using cross-lagged structural equation models (SEM) and dynamic panel models with fixed effects, we examined contemporaneous and lagged associations between self-reported workplace bullying and anxiety. Cohort-specific results were estimated and combined using fixed-effect meta-analysis. RESULTS: The cross-lagged SEM models supported contemporaneous and lagged relationships in both directions (from workplace bullying to symptoms of anxiety and vice versa). In contrast, only contemporaneous relationships remained statistically significant and of considerable magnitude in the dynamic panel models with fixed effects. Specifically, exposure to workplace bullying was related to a concurrent increase in anxiety symptoms (b=0.61, 95% confidence interval 0.32–0.90). No support of interaction with leadership quality was found. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that onset of workplace bullying is associated with an immediate or short-term increase in anxiety symptoms. This study provides novel insights regarding temporal aspects and causal inference of the bullying-anxiety relationship useful for managing psychological hazards and preventing mental illness at work. https://www.sjweh.fi/show_abstract.php?abstract_id=4060 structural equation modellingoccupational healthlongitudinal studymental healthwork stressanxietypsychosocial work environmentbullyingoccupational healthharassmentleadershipdynamic panel model |
| spellingShingle | Rebecka Holmgren Kathrine Sørensen Louise Dalsager Reiner Rugulies Viveca Östberg Linda L Magnusson Hanson Workplace bullying, symptoms of anxiety and the interaction with leadership quality – a longitudinal study using dynamic panel models with fixed effects Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health structural equation modelling occupational health longitudinal study mental health work stress anxiety psychosocial work environment bullying occupational health harassment leadership dynamic panel model |
| title | Workplace bullying, symptoms of anxiety and the interaction with leadership quality – a longitudinal study using dynamic panel models with fixed effects |
| title_full | Workplace bullying, symptoms of anxiety and the interaction with leadership quality – a longitudinal study using dynamic panel models with fixed effects |
| title_fullStr | Workplace bullying, symptoms of anxiety and the interaction with leadership quality – a longitudinal study using dynamic panel models with fixed effects |
| title_full_unstemmed | Workplace bullying, symptoms of anxiety and the interaction with leadership quality – a longitudinal study using dynamic panel models with fixed effects |
| title_short | Workplace bullying, symptoms of anxiety and the interaction with leadership quality – a longitudinal study using dynamic panel models with fixed effects |
| title_sort | workplace bullying symptoms of anxiety and the interaction with leadership quality a longitudinal study using dynamic panel models with fixed effects |
| topic | structural equation modelling occupational health longitudinal study mental health work stress anxiety psychosocial work environment bullying occupational health harassment leadership dynamic panel model |
| url |
https://www.sjweh.fi/show_abstract.php?abstract_id=4060
|
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