Direct and Indirect Harassment Experiences and Burnout among Academic Faculty in Japan

Abstract

The purpose of this study is three-fold: (1) to compare harassment (sexual, gender, and academic harassment both directly and indirectly experienced - i.e. "directly harassed" and "have seen or heard of someone who experienced harassment", respectively) experienced by males and females, (2) to investigate whether such experiences correlate with burnout, and (3) to explore whether social support might mitigate any such relationship between harassment and burnout. This cross-sectional study was conducted at a private university in Japan in February 2014 and is based on a work-life balance survey obtained from 330 academic faculty members. We investigated the association between each of the six subcategories of harassment (direct and indirect forms of each of the three types) and burnout using general linear regression models; we then evaluated interactions between harassment and social support in these models. The prevalence of direct and indirect experiences of harassment was higher in females than in males for all three types of harassment. Males showed higher burnout scores if they had direct experiences of harassment. There were significant interactions between social support and the direct experience of harassment; high social support mitigated the effect size of direct harassment on burnout among males. Females showed higher burnout scores if they had indirect experiences of harassment. However, the same buffering effect of social support on burnout as observed in males was not observed in females. Direct harassment experiences increased the risk of burnout in males, and indirect harassment experiences increased burnout in females.

Continuous Work Support Checklist for Female Healthcare Workers: Scale Development and Validation

“…Therefore, those who scored higher for this factor may perceived gender inequality or harassment. This coincides with previous studies [14][15][16]. A previous study in Iran [28] that investigated female health workers demonstrated that trust and social participation in the workplace are beneficial to nurses, patients, and the organization, through improved communication, teamwork, and access to greater information, support, and resources.…”

“…A study in Canada [15] previously highlighted the importance of the organizational climate for gender equity and demonstrated that the gender gap in academic medicine may have negative consequences for organizational effectiveness and workplace culture. We also found that utilizing women and absence of inequality or harassment at workplace alleviated women's burnout [16]. These findings suggest that organizational fairness that improves gender equity may be a useful tool to enable women to continue working.…”

Gender-Based Differences in Burnout: Issues Faced by Women Physicians

“…In addition, women who belong to a sexual minority group are at risk of experiencing harassment based on their sexual orientation [47]. Workplace sexual harassment and bullying have been linked to mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, and may contribute to the development of burnout among victims of both direct and indirect harassment [48,49,50]. Women physicians who have been victims of sexual harassment note that the experiences negatively aff ected their self-confi dence and career advancement.…”

Sexual harassment in academe is underreported, especially by students in the life and physical sciences

“…Those who experience sexual harassment in post-secondary settings suffer mental, psychological, physical, academic, and work-related consequences-including lower GPA for students and, in the case of faculty, potentially leaving academe altogether [8][9][10][11]. The negative effects of sexual harassment, moreover, can affect an entire scholarly community; recent work has shown that an environment where sexual harassment is pervasive can lead to faculty burnout among women, even if they do not experience sexual harassment directly [12].…”