From incivility to aggression: latent profiles of outsider mistreatment and their association with well-being

Purpose Outsider mistreatment—aggressive or disrespectful behaviours by patients, relatives, or visitors—poses a critical threat to healthcare workers' well-being and organisational functioning. Guided by the Conservation of Resources theory, this person-centred study examined exposure patterns and their associations with psychological and occupational outcomes among healthcare professionals. Design/methodology/approach Responses from 2,219 healthcare professionals in eight Northern Italian hospitals were analysed using latent profile analysis to identify subgroups with varying levels of exposure to mistreatment. Findings Two distinct profiles emerged: Low Mistreatment Exposure (89.1%) and Moderate–High Mistreatment Exposure (10.9%). The latter was marked by elevated incivility, verbal aggression, and especially physical aggression, and was associated with greater emotional exhaustion, mental distancing, psychosomatic symptoms, and post-traumatic stress symptoms, alongside lower job satisfaction, reduced trauma-related coping self-efficacy (CSE), and stronger turnover intentions. These findings highlight the cumulative and multifaceted nature of outsider mistreatment and its uneven impact across staff. Originality/value This study represents the first application of a person-centred approach latent profile analysis, specifically to outsider mistreatment in the healthcare sector. By integrating incivility and aggression into a unified continuum, the research moves beyond traditional variable-centred analyses. Moreover, it extends existing research by linking these profiles to both occupational well-being and CSE, highlighting differential pathways of vulnerability and resilience.