Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011 Mar;55(2):152-63.
doi: 10.1093/annhyg/meq086. Epub 2010 Dec 20.

Workplace bullying and psychotropic drug use: the mediating role of physical and mental health status

Isabelle Niedhammer  1 , Simone David, Stéphanie Degioanni, Anne Drummond, Pierre Philip, D Acquarone, F Aicardi, P André-Mazeaud, M Arsento, R Astier, H Baille, F Bajon-Thery, E Barre, C Basire, J L Battu, S Baudry, C Beatini, N Beaud'huin, C Becker, D Bellezza, C Beque, O Bernstein, C Beyssier, F Blanc-Cascio, N Blanchet, C Blondel, R Boisselot, G Bordes-Dupuy, N Borrelly, D Bouhnik, M F Boulanger, J Boulard, P Bourreau, D Bourret, A M Boustière, C Breton, G Bugeon, M Buono-Michel, J F Canonne, D Capella, M Cavin-Rey, C Cervoni, D Charreton, D Charrier, M A Chauvin, B Chazal, C Cougnot, G Cuvelier, G Dalivoust, R Daumas, A Debaille, L De Bretteville, G Delaforge, A Delchambre, L Domeny, Y Donati, J Ducord-Chapelet, C Duran, D Durand-Bruguerolle, D Fabre, A Faivre, R Falleri, G Ferrando, J Ferrari-Galano, M Flutet, J P Fouché, F Fournier, E Freyder, M Galy, A Garcia, G Gazazian, C Gérard, F Girard, M Giuge, C Goyer, C Gravier, A Guyomard, M C Hacquin, E Halimi, T Ibagnes, P Icart, M C Jacquin, B Jaubert, J P Joret, J P Julien, M Kacel, E Kesmedjian, P Lacroix, M Lafon-Borelli, S Lallai, J Laudicina, X Leclercq, S Ledieu, J Leroy, L Leroyer, F Loesche, D Londi, J M Longueville, M C Lotte, S Louvain, M Lozé, M Maculet-Simon, G Magallon, V Marcelot, M C Mareel, P Martin, A M Masse, M Méric, C Milliet, R Mokhtari, A M Monville, B Muller, G Obadia, M Pelser, L Peres, E Perez, M Peyron, F Peyronnin, S Postel, P Presseq, E Pyronnet, C Quinsat, H Raulot-Lapointe, P Rigaud, F Robert, O Robert, K Roger, A Roussel, J P Roux, D Rubini-Remigy, N Sabaté, C Saccomano-Pertus, B Salengro, P Salengro-Trouillez, E Samsom, L Sendra-Gille, C Seyrig, G Stoll, N Tarpinian, M Tavernier, S Tempesta, H Terracol, F Torresani, M F Triglia, V Vandomme, F Vieillard, K Vilmot, N Vital
Affiliations

Workplace bullying and psychotropic drug use: the mediating role of physical and mental health status

Isabelle Niedhammer et al. Ann Occup Hyg. 2011 Mar.

Abstract

Objectives: The association between workplace bullying and psychotropic drug use is not well established. This study was aimed at exploring the association between workplace bullying, and its characteristics, and psychotropic drug use and studying the mediating role of physical and mental health.

Methods: The study population consisted of a random sample of 3132 men and 4562 women of the working population in the south-east of France. Workplace bullying, evaluated using the validated instrument elaborated by Leymann, and psychotropic drug use, as well as covariates, were measured using a self-administered questionnaire. Covariates included age, marital status, presence of children, education, occupation, working hours, night work, physico-chemical exposures at work, self-reported health, and depressive symptoms. Statistical analysis was performed using logistic regression analysis and was carried out separately for men and women.

Results: Workplace bullying was strongly associated with psychotropic drug use. Past exposure to bullying increased the risk for this use. The more frequent and the longer the exposure to bullying, the stronger the association with psychotropic drug use. Observing bullying on someone else at the workplace was associated with psychotropic drug use. Adjustment for covariates did not modify the results. Additional adjustment for self-reported health and depressive symptoms reduced the magnitude of the associations, especially for men.

Conclusions: The association between bullying and psychotropic drug use was found to be significant and strong and was partially mediated by physical and mental health.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Alonso J, Angermeyer MC, Bernert S, Bruffaerts R, Brugha TS, Bryson H, de GG, Graaf R, Demyttenaere K, Gasquet I, Haro JM, Katz SJ, Kessler RC, Kovess V, Lepine JP, Ormel J, Polidori G, Russo LJ, Vilagut G, Almansa J, rbabzadeh-Bouchez S, Autonell J, Bernal M, Buist-Bouwman MA, Codony M, Domingo-Salvany A, Ferrer M, Joo SS, Martinez-Alonso M, Matschinger H, Mazzi F, Morgan Z, Morosini P, Palacin C, Romera B, Taub N, Vollebergh WA. Psychotropic drug utilization in Europe: results from the European Study of the Epidemiology of Mental Disorders (ESEMeD) project. Acta Psychiatr Scand Suppl. 2004:55–64. - PubMed
    1. Appelberg K, Romanov K, Honkasalo ML, Koskenvuo M. The use of tranquilizers, hypnotics and analgesics among 18,592 Finnish adults: associations with recent interpersonal conflicts at work or with a spouse. J Clin Epidemiol. 1993;46:1315–1322. - PubMed
    1. Bjorkqvist K, Osterman K, Hjelt-Back M. Aggression among university employees. Aggressive Behaviour. 1994;20:173–184.
    1. Cowie H, Naylor P, Rivers I, Smith P-K, Pereira B. Measuring workplace bullying. Aggression and Violent Behavior. 2002;7:33–51.
    1. Einarsen S. Harassment and bullying at work: a review of the Scandinavian approach. Aggression and Violent Behavior. 2000;5:379–401.

Publication types

Substances