Workplace bullying and mental distress – a prospective study of Norwegian employees
OBJECTIVES: Using a prospective design, the objective of this study was to determine the relationship between workplace bullying and mental distress. METHODS: Altogether, 1971 Norwegian employees, recruited from 20 organizations, answered questions regarding workplace bullying and mental distress at...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nordic Association of Occupational Safety and Health (NOROSH)
2011-07-01
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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=3156
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| _version_ | 1818925699087466496 |
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| author | Live Bakke Finne Stein Knardahl Bjørn Lau |
| author_facet | Live Bakke Finne Stein Knardahl Bjørn Lau |
| author_sort | Live Bakke Finne |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | OBJECTIVES: Using a prospective design, the objective of this study was to determine the relationship between workplace bullying and mental distress. METHODS: Altogether, 1971 Norwegian employees, recruited from 20 organizations, answered questions regarding workplace bullying and mental distress at both baseline and follow-up. Baseline data were gathered between 2004–2006, and follow-up data were gathered between 2006–2009. The time-lag between baseline and follow-up was approximately two years for all the respondents in all the organizations. The factors measured in the study were individual characteristics, mental distress measured with the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-10), self-reported workplace bullying measured with a single item from the General Nordic Questionnaire for Psychological and Social Factors at Work (QPSNordic) and job demands and job control assessed by QPSNordic. RESULTS: A multiple linear regression analysis adjusted for mental distress, sex, age, job demands and job control at baseline [β=0.05, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.03–0.17] and a repeated measures ANOVA adjusted for sex and age [F(3,1965)=38.37; partial η^2=0.06] showed that workplace bullying predicted mental distress. Furthermore, a multiple binary logistic regression analysis adjusted for bullying, sex, age, job demands and job control at baseline [odds ratio (OR) 2.30, 95% CI 1.43–3.69] showed that mental distress was a predictor of bullying. CONCLUSIONS: We found support for the notion that self-reported workplace bullying is a predictor of mental distress two years later. Bullying had an independent effect on mental distress after adjusting for job demands and job control. Mental distress was also found to be a predictor of bullying, indicating that the reverse relationship is also important. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T02:45:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-09b3c8dc896a49eeacd02d0ef76ed17d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0355-3140 1795-990X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T02:45:22Z |
| publishDate | 2011-07-01 |
| publisher | Nordic Association of Occupational Safety and Health (NOROSH) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-09b3c8dc896a49eeacd02d0ef76ed17d2022-12-21T19:56:12ZengNordic Association of Occupational Safety and Health (NOROSH)Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health0355-31401795-990X2011-07-0137427628710.5271/sjweh.31563156Workplace bullying and mental distress – a prospective study of Norwegian employeesLive Bakke Finne0Stein KnardahlBjørn LauNational Institute of Occupational Health, NO-0033 Oslo, Norway.OBJECTIVES: Using a prospective design, the objective of this study was to determine the relationship between workplace bullying and mental distress. METHODS: Altogether, 1971 Norwegian employees, recruited from 20 organizations, answered questions regarding workplace bullying and mental distress at both baseline and follow-up. Baseline data were gathered between 2004–2006, and follow-up data were gathered between 2006–2009. The time-lag between baseline and follow-up was approximately two years for all the respondents in all the organizations. The factors measured in the study were individual characteristics, mental distress measured with the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-10), self-reported workplace bullying measured with a single item from the General Nordic Questionnaire for Psychological and Social Factors at Work (QPSNordic) and job demands and job control assessed by QPSNordic. RESULTS: A multiple linear regression analysis adjusted for mental distress, sex, age, job demands and job control at baseline [β=0.05, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.03–0.17] and a repeated measures ANOVA adjusted for sex and age [F(3,1965)=38.37; partial η^2=0.06] showed that workplace bullying predicted mental distress. Furthermore, a multiple binary logistic regression analysis adjusted for bullying, sex, age, job demands and job control at baseline [odds ratio (OR) 2.30, 95% CI 1.43–3.69] showed that mental distress was a predictor of bullying. CONCLUSIONS: We found support for the notion that self-reported workplace bullying is a predictor of mental distress two years later. Bullying had an independent effect on mental distress after adjusting for job demands and job control. Mental distress was also found to be a predictor of bullying, indicating that the reverse relationship is also important. https://www.sjweh.fi/show_abstract.php?abstract_id=3156 occupationalprospective studypsychological healthnorwayworkplace bullyingmental distressnorwegian employeeharassmentlongitudinal |
| spellingShingle | Live Bakke Finne Stein Knardahl Bjørn Lau Workplace bullying and mental distress – a prospective study of Norwegian employees Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health occupational prospective study psychological health norway workplace bullying mental distress norwegian employee harassment longitudinal |
| title | Workplace bullying and mental distress – a prospective study of Norwegian employees |
| title_full | Workplace bullying and mental distress – a prospective study of Norwegian employees |
| title_fullStr | Workplace bullying and mental distress – a prospective study of Norwegian employees |
| title_full_unstemmed | Workplace bullying and mental distress – a prospective study of Norwegian employees |
| title_short | Workplace bullying and mental distress – a prospective study of Norwegian employees |
| title_sort | workplace bullying and mental distress a prospective study of norwegian employees |
| topic | occupational prospective study psychological health norway workplace bullying mental distress norwegian employee harassment longitudinal |
| url |
https://www.sjweh.fi/show_abstract.php?abstract_id=3156
|
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