Workplace sexual harassment and depressive symptoms: a cross-sectional multilevel analysis comparing harassment from clients or customers to harassment from other employees amongst 7603 Danish employees from 1041 organizations

Abstract

BackgroundPrevious research has reported that sexual harassment can lead to reduced mental health. Few studies have focused on sexual harassment conducted by clients or customers, which might occur in person-related occupations such as eldercare work, social work or customer service work. This study examined the cross-sectional association between sexual harassment by clients or customers and depressive symptoms. We also examined if this association was different compared to sexual harassment conducted by a colleague, supervisor or subordinate. Further, we investigated if psychosocial workplace initiatives modified the association between sexual harassment by clients or customers and level of depressive symptoms.MethodsWe used data from the Work Environment and Health in Denmark cohort study (WEHD) and the Work Environment Activities in Danish Workplaces Study (WEADW) collected in 2012. WEHD is based on a random sample of employed individuals aged 18–64. In WEADW, organizational supervisors or employee representatives provided information on workplace characteristics. By combining WEHD and WEADW we included self-reported information on working conditions and health from 7603 employees and supervisors in 1041 organizations within 5 occupations. Data were analyzed using multilevel regression and analyses adjusted for gender, age, occupation and socioeconomic position.ResultsExposure to workplace sexual harassment from clients or customers was statistically significantly associated with a higher level of depressive symptoms (2.05; 95% CI: 0.98–3.12) compared to no exposure. Employees harassed by colleagues, supervisors or subordinates had a higher mean level of depressive symptoms (2.45; 95% CI: 0.57–4.34) than employees harassed by clients or customers. We observed no statistically significant interactions between harassment from clients and customers and any of the examined psychosocial workplace initiatives (all p > 0.05).ConclusionsThe association between sexual harassment and depressive symptoms differed for employees harassed by clients or customers and those harassed by colleagues, supervisors or subordinates. The results underline the importance of investigating sexual harassment from clients or customers and sexual harassment by colleagues, supervisors or subordinates as distinct types of harassment. We found no modification of the association between sexual harassment by clients or customers and depressive symptoms by any of the examined psychosocial workplace initiatives.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-017-4669-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Factors associated with sexual violence among female administrative staff of Mekelle University, North Ethiopia

“…This variation might be due to these areas require much interpersonal interaction that could make them vulnerable to violence. However, in a study done in Denmark and Danish workplaces, participants employed in care work were more often exposed to sexual violence by clients and customers than participants employed in private service, professional work, building and construction, and industrial work [16]. This variation might be due to a difference in the study area in which the study done in Denmark, and Danish workplaces were conducted in different areas.…”

“…Whereas, in a study conducted in Nigeria the perpetrators were clients and managers [13]. Similarly, in a study done in Denmark and Danish workplaces sexual violence was conducted by colleagues, supervisors, subordinates [16]. This difference is due to the time gap, study design, and a difference in sociodemographic status.…”

“…This variation might be due to a difference in the study area in which the study done in Denmark, and Danish workplaces were conducted in different areas. In developing countries, casual workers and informal sector workers appear to be particularly subject to harassment [16].…”

Race, threat and workplace sexual harassment: The dynamics of harassment in the United States, 1997–2016

“…Sexual harassment continues to be a 'systemic trauma' (Fitzgerald, 2017) for women in the workplace, with consequences for victims that include depression (Friborg et al, 2017;Houle, Staff, Mortimer, Uggen, & Blackstone, 2011), burnout (Takeuchi et al, 2018), anxiety (Mushtaq, Sultana, & Imtiaz, 2015) and even post-traumatic stress disorder (Avina & O'Donohue, 2002;see Chan, Lam, Chow, & Cheung, 2008, or Sojo, Wood, & Genat, 2016, for meta-analyses and a review of health effects). All of this is in addition to the effects on women's careers: harassment may make them more likely to quit jobs, even when doing so is economically disadvantageous (McLaughlin, Uggen, & Blackstone, 2017), with long-term economic effects.…”

Sexual harassment and its relationship with depressive symptoms: A nationwide study of Korean EMS providers

“…It is controversial whether there are gender differences in the association between sexual harassment and depression. Some studies have shown that there are gender differences in the impact of sexual harassment on depression, while others report that there are no gender differences . Furthermore, no previous research has reported the prevalence of sexual harassment, and examined the association between sexual harassment and depressive symptoms in South Korea.…”