THE MOBBING PORTAL
ABSTRACT
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THE MOBBING PORTALABSTRACT |
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"Psychopathological dimensions of harassment in the workplace" Abstract: Aims: This study (a) evaluates the subjective perception and the psychopathological effects on workers subjected to harassment at the workplace, (b) examines the pathogenic relation between workplace harassment and psychiatric aspects, and (c) assesses the correlation between socio-demographic variables and the pathogenic extent of this phenomenon. Method: The study was carried out with the participation of 733 workers who approached the Work Psychopathology Medical Centre of the Department of Mental Health of Naples (Italy); 533 (73 percent) completed the diagnostic trial. Diagnoses were made in accord to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition, revised) criteria. Each individual was graded on an empirical scale to quantify the correlation between diagnosis and harassment at the workplace. Two groups, with the highest and the lowest degrees of working pathogenesis, were compared. Statistical analysis was carried out to study the correlation between diagnoses and working pathogenesis. Results: The greatest subjective perception of mobbing is found among workers of high (managers, officials, etc.) and medium (employees, white-collar workers, etc.) work level and the highest care demand is experienced by workers in the fields of public administration, health-care, social work, commerce, and industry. Adjustment disorders, mood disorders (mainly major depression), anxiety disorders (mainly posttraumatic stress disorder; PTSD) are the more frequent diagnoses. We also found a limited sample of individuals suffering from schizophrenic--and psychotic spectrum disorders. The correlation between diagnosis and working pathogenesis degree shows that the more significant correlation is found with mood and anxious disorders. Conclusion: Depression and PTSD are the more frequent psychiatric diseases related to harassment at the workplace, mainly when the pathogenic effect of mobbing is highly relevant. The greatest incidence of pathogenic work conflicts is observed in men, and the risk increases with aging, high work, and high education levels.
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