Workplace bullying linked to long-term health implications

New data from Stockholm University draws a clear nexus between workplace bullying and the development of mental disorders.

A study, published in the journal Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, suggests that employees who are exposed to workplace bullying are more likely to start antidepressants or other psychotropic medication.

Leading author and PhD student at the Department of Public Health Sciences, Rebecka Holmgren, explained that experiencing bullying at work “is not only associated with self-reported mental health symptoms, but also with an increased need for medical treatment”.

Stockholm University researchers used an observational method of study that resembles a clinical trial without creating damaging scenarios. The “emulated target trial” analysed existing data from two long-running studies across Sweden and Denmark totaling over 25,000 participants who, at the commencement of the trials, had not been exposed to workplace bullying and had not previously used psychotropic medication.

The surveys, the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health and the Work Environment and Health in Denmark study, collected data linked to national records of psychotropic medication purchases between 2012 and 2018. 1,490 participants, over 5 per cent, reported workplace bullying.

These individuals were more likely than other colleagues to start related treatment in the following two years.

Additionally, the frequency of bullying increased the likelihood of medication. While demographic factors weakened some of these results, the link strengthened considerably for antidepressant use specifically.

Holmgren and her team were surprised at how clear the associations were from a relatively healthy population, adding, “because not everyone who experiences mental health problems will receive or seek medical treatment, it’s possible that our results actually underestimate the true impact of bullying on mental health”.

However, she also cautioned that the medications in question are used for conditions outside of mental health concerns.

It remains true that the direct effect of being bullied in the workplace – feelings of lowered social value and self-esteem issues – correlates directly to mental health. When medication is involved, it becomes an issue that needs constant management and, without intervention, only compounds over time.

Whether workplace bullying is a direct cause of mental health conditions is still under review, but related studies have linked it to deteriorating mental health, sometimes to the point of suicidal behaviour.

Mental health has gained increasing public attention, with the work environment rapidly becoming a more common and aggressive risk factor. And between sick leave, reduced productivity, and healthcare pressures, it comes at a major cost to employers.

For Holmgren, it “underscores the responsibility of employers to prevent it”.

The solution, then, goes beyond individual strategies that target the effect rather than the root cause. The results of Holmgren’s research point to early intervention and preventative measures, such as “clear policies, supportive leadership and structured work processes”, ideally to lower both personal suffering and pressure on society.

According to Holmgren and her team, this is the first study to directly demonstrate how the onset of bullying in the workplace can contribute to mental health conditions, and may warrant medical intervention.