Bullying at work linked to increased depression risk
Employees who report being bullied on the job are at increased risk of developing depression, reports a study in the DecemberJournal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).
But a more objective measure of bullying in the workplace doesn't seem to predict depression risk, according to the study by Maria Gullander, MSc, of Bispebjerg University Hospital, Copenhagen, and colleagues.
The researchers analyzed data on two groups of Danish workers, totaling nearly 5,200 individuals. On an initial questionnaire in 2006-07, the workers provided information on perceived and witnessed episodes of bullying at work. Subsequent development of depression was assessed at follow-up evaluations performed two to five years later. During this time, 147 new cases of depression occurred.
Workers who reported being bullied at work were more likely to develop depression. With adjustment for certain personality traits, the risk of new-onset depression was about twice as high for workers reporting occasional bullying, and nearly 10 times higher for those who said they were bullied frequently.
The researchers were interested in seeing if the percentage of employees who said they witnessed bullying, as a more objective indicator of bullying in the workplace, was related to depression risk. However, workers in departments with higher rates of witnessed bullying were no more likely to develop depression.