Riassunto

Background Prospective studies on bystanding to workplace bullying and the health outcomes are scarce.

Aim To investigate the work environmental risk factors of depressive symptoms among bystanders to bullying in both women and men in four large industrial organizations in Sweden.

Method The number of respondents at four large industrial enterprises with more than one year at the workplace at T1: n = 2,563 (Women: n = 342; Men: n = 2,227). Bystanders to bullying at T1: n = 305 (Women: n = 30; Men: n = 275). The total number of those with symptoms of depression at T2: Women: n = 30; Men: n = 161. Two thousand one hundred and seventy-seven employees answered the questionnaire on T1 and T2 with an 18-month interval. “To have depressive symptoms” was defined as not having depressive symptoms at T1 but having depressive symptoms at T2.

Results The number of men who were bystanders to bullying was larger compared to women. However, the proportion of women who were bystanders to bullying and developed depressive symptoms 18 months later was higher in comparison with men (33.3 and 16.4 %, respectively). Further, “Being a bystander to bullying” 1.69 (1.13–2.53), “Rumors of changes in the workplace” 1.53 (1.10–2.14), “Reduced role clarity” 2.30 (1.21–4.32), “Lack of appreciation of being in the group” 1.76 (1.22–2.53) increased the risk of future symptoms of depression. “Job Strain” was not an adjusted risk factor for depression.

Conclusion Our results support previous findings that bystanding to workplace bullying is related to future depressive symptoms.

Commento

Nell'Unione Europea si stima che almeno un terzo della forza lavoro abbia o abbia avuto esperienza di disturbi di salute mentale nei quali la depressione ha giocato un ruolo determinante.

In ambito lavorativo, moltissimi studi di letteratura hanno correlato il mobbing con lo sviluppo di sintomi ansiosi e depressivi cronici nei lavoratori bersaglio ma pochissimi hanno anche indagato le reazioni psicologiche degli altri lavoratori che ne sono spettatori.

La discussione di Barling sulle vittime primarie e secondarie della violenza sul posto di lavoro suggerisce che le vittime secondarie del mobbing sono tutti dipendenti che non ne sono vittime ma che, assistendo come spettatori, cambiano di conseguenza le loro aspettative e timori. Come tali, le persone presenti al bullismo potrebbero essere considerati come obiettivi secondari passivi.

Il presente studio è stato realizzado con lo scopo di indagare i fattori di rischio per patologie depressive sul luogo di lavoro tra i dipendenti spettatori di episodi di mobbing in quattro grandi organizzazioni industriali in Svezia. I risultati confermano ed approfondiscono le conoscenze della letteratura sul tema.

Keywords

Bystanding workplace bullying, Depression, Industry, Job strain, Longitudinal, Model, Theory

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