Exposure of Healthcare Service Workers to Psychological Harassment at Work (Pilot Survey)

Abstract

Research background. this research is important because the instrument of foreign researchers is applied and used to perform opportunity analysis in Lithuania. The aim of the study – to assess the experienced psychological harassment of healthcare institution workers at work. Methods. Doctors, tenders and tender assistants working in a healthcare institution were surveyed using the questionnaire survey method. For the evaluation of harassment at work, the Work Harassment scale (WHs), which was composed by K. björkqvist and K. Österman in 1994, was used. Results. the performed pilot study revealed that psychological harassment at work took various forms, such as the limitation of freedom of self-expression, situations of intentional disruption in one or another way, loud bawling out, etc. these factors are common in many organisations. Workers at healthcare institutions more often than workers at other organisations face manifestations of psychological harassment because of the specifcity of activity. The most common forms of psychological harassment were identifed in the study. They are situations where a worker was loudly bawled out (17.3%) or criticised (17.4%), falsehoods were said about a worker (23.9%). Less common forms of psychological harassment were assertion that a worker has mental disorders or isolation. Conclusions. Psychological harassment might take various forms in the medical staff work environment. the WHs, which was used for the assessment, is an appropriate tool for further assessments of psychological harassment of healthcare service workers.Keywords: psychological harassment, psychological violence.