Objectives

To analyze sociodemographic features of mobbing cases referred for psychiatric evaluation.

Background and aims

Although mobbing has gained attention in the last decades, there hasn’t been enough psychiatric research. Our aim is to analyze cases referred to a university hospital as a part of forensic evaluation, so it will be possible to understand which victim characteristics and workplace environment features leads to mobbing.

Materials and methods

We included 53 cases referred to our clinic in between 2010-2018 for allegedly been subject to workplace harassment. Type of mobbing was delineated according to Leymann Inventory of Psychological Terror (LIPT) for every victim. Both psychiatric and physical consequences of mobbing were noted. Further analyses were carried out in cases that had MMPI test available.

Results

66% of the cases were women. 94% of victims had at least undergraduate degree. 39,6% were working in education services, 17,0% were in private company, 17,0 % were in administrative business and 11,3% were in health services.  Victims diagnoses were major depressive disorder (43%), trauma related disorders (45%), anxiety disorders (8%), somatic symptom and related disorders (4%) according to DSM-5.

Most frequent types of mobbing were effects on occupational situation and quality of life (69,8%) and on personal reputation (66,0%) according to LIPT. Those who were affected in occupational situation and quality of life had higher depression (p=0,022), psychopathic deviate (p=0,002), and social introversion (p=0,04) scores in MMPI.

Conclusions

Mobbing is a type of psychological trauma that has serious psychiatric consequences. More research should be carried out to understand mobbing and prevent related disability.

Analysis of Cases Referred for Psychiatric Evaluation after Mobbing