Workplace Sexual Harassment Increases the Risk of PTSD Symptoms with Higher Frequency and Harassment Coming from a Colleague or Leader as Risk Factors

This study examined the effect of workplace sexual harassment on posttraumatic stress (PTSD) symptoms while also examining the effect of harassment frequency, harassment source, and workplace social capital. The sample consisted of 3153 Danish social educators (females 79.3%) responding to the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) and the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire II item on sexual harassment (COPSOQ). The prevalence of sexual harassment was 22% exposed within the recent year. We found a significant positive relationship between exposure to workplace sexual harassment and PTSD symptoms. Harassment frequency was associated with significantly higher levels of PTSD symptoms. Harassment from a colleague/leader compared to a client was associated with higher levels of PTSD symptoms although the difference was not statistically significant. Workplace social capital had an inverted association with PTSD symptoms, but there was no moderation effect on the relationship between sexual harassment and PTSD. These findings suggest that higher harassment frequency and harassment from a colleague/leader is associated with an increased severity of PTSD symptoms following exposure to workplace sexual harassment. Workplace social capital seems to alleviate level of PTSD symptoms, but did not moderate the association between exposure to workplace sexual harassment and PTSD symptoms. Possibly, feelings of shame and guilt may discourage some employees from disclosing their experiences with colleagues or leaders and thereby seek available support at the workplace. Future studies need to uncover the barriers that prevent victims of sexual harassment from seeking and benefitting from social support available at the workplace

Consistent use of assistive devices for patient transfer is associated with less patient-initiated violence:cross-sectional study among health care workers at general hospitals

This study investigated whether factors related to bodily contact between health care workers and patients were associated with patient-initiated violence. This cross-sectional study surveyed 496 Danish health care workers measuring patient-initiated violence, use of assistive devices, body mass index, physical exertion, frequency of patient transfers, psychosocial work environment, gender, age, and seniority. Associations were modeled using logistic regression analyses using patient-initiated violence as the outcome. Twenty-five percent of the respondents had experienced physical or verbal violence during the past year. Infrequent use of assistive devices, high physical strain, and severe obesity all significantly increased the risk of physical violence (risk ratio [RR] = 1.18, RR = 1.18, and RR = 1.16, respectively), whereas only the lack of assistive device use significantly increased the risk of verbal violence (RR = 1.13 and RR = 1.08). Consistent use of assistive devices appears to reduce the risk of patient-initiated violence. Managers should require the use of assistive devices when designing work processes for patient transfers. </jats:p