Workplace bullying and risk of incident diagnosed mental disorders: a Swedish cohort study

Abstract Background Growing evidence indicates that a range of psychosocial work characteristics may influence workers’ mental health, with workplace bullying emerging as a particularly harmful factor. However, few studies have examined medically certified mental disorders following exposure to workplace bullying. In addition, evidence of potential sex differences remains inconclusive. Therefore, this study aims to examine if exposure to workplace bullying is associated with an excess risk of mental disorders among men and women in the Swedish workforce. Methods We linked self-reported questionnaire data from the 2016 Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (N = 13 321, mean age: 51.7 years, women: 57.1%) with data from the Swedish National Patient Registry, covering diagnoses from in- and outpatient specialist care during the period 1997 to 2018. The prospective association between self-reported exposure to workplace bullying and incident mental disorders was examined in sex-stratified logistic regression analyses. Preliminary results After adjusting for age, marital status, educational attainment, and history of mental disorders, exposure to workplace bullying was associated with subsequent risk of diagnosed mental disorders in men (OR: 2.0, 95% CI: 1.2-3.3), but not in women (OR: 0.9, 95% CI: 0.6-1.5). The same pattern was found when excluding individuals with prior history of mental disorders (men: OR: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.3-5.0; women: 0.8, 95% CI: 0.4-1.7). Interaction analyses supported both additive and multiplicative interaction between sex and exposure to workplace bullying (p < 0.05 for both). Conclusions Our findings indicate that exposure to workplace bullying may increase the risk of moderate-to-severe mental disorders in men, but not in women, suggesting potential sex differences in response to exposure. The results underscore the importance of continued preventive measures against workplace bullying. Key messages • Exposure to workplace bullying was associated with an increased risk of diagnosed mental disorders in men, but not women, suggesting possible sex differences in vulnerability. • Preventive policies against workplace bullying may help reduce the individual and societal burden of mental disorders in the working population.