A clinical study of musculoskeletal dysfunction in targets of workplace bullying

Abstract

Background: Workers exposed to bullying often report musculoskeletal symptoms. In this study we have clinically evaluated the prevalence and nature of musculoskeletal dysfunction among a group of workers exposed to bullying and studied the relationship between clinical findings and self-reported musculoskeletal and mental symptoms. Materials and methods: In a cross-sectional study, 144 patients admitted to an outpatient clinic for victims of workplace bullying were assessed with the Global Physiotherapy Examination 52 (GPE-52), a standardised test battery examining posture, respiration, movement, muscle and skin. The patients filled in self-report questionnaires regarding musculoskeletal symptoms (MSI), anxiety and depression (The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, HADS) and post-traumatic stress symptoms (Impact of Events Scale revised version, IES-R). Results: Patients victimised by bullying showed reduced flexibility, reduced ability to relax, restricted respiration and tense and painful muscles. The total GPE-52 sum-score and the main domains Movement and Muscle had significant correlations with most self-reported health variables, strongest between the subdomain Flexibility and HADS-D (r ¼ 0.37) and HADS-A (r ¼ 0.36). Conclusions: Victims of bullying have clinically evident musculoskeletal dysfunctions that were further found to have a relationship with self-reported mental symptoms. Future health services for these patients should be multi-dimensional and include a bodily assessment by a physiotherapist and relevant treatment when needed.

Healing the wounds of workplace bullying: Evaluating mental health and workplace participation among victims seeking treatment for common mental disorders

“…Hence, victims of ongoing and long-term workplace bullying represent a group characterised with severe negative health complaints, such as musculoskeletal complaints [ 6 ], common mental disorders (CMD) in the form of anxiety and depression [ 2, 7 ], and even symptoms of post-traumatic stress [ 8, 9 ]. The negative health effects may become long-lasting, and some longitudinal studies have confirmed that these negative outcomes may persist over several years [ 10, 11 ], and long after the bullying may have ceased [ 12 ].…”