Organizational response to workplace violence, and its association with depressive symptoms: A nationwide survey of 1966 Korean EMS providers

Abstract

Objectives This study investigated whether organizational responses modified the associations between experiencing violence and depressive symptoms among emergency workers. Methods A nationwide survey of 1966 Korean emergency medical service (EMS) providers was analyzed. Experience of workplace violence (ie, physical violence, verbal abuse) was classified into four groups based on the victims’ reporting and organizational responses: (i) “Not experienced,” (ii) “Experienced, not reported,” (iii) “Experienced, reported, responded by organization,”and (iv) “Experienced, reported, not responded by organization.” Depressive symptoms were assessed by 11‐item version of the Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Results Compared to “Not experienced” group, physical violence was significantly associated with depressive symptoms among EMS providers responding “Experienced, not reported” (PR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.37, 2.03) and “Experienced, reported, not responded by organization” (PR: 2.58, 95% CI: 1.75, 3.82), after adjusting for confounders. No significant difference was detected for workers responding “Experienced, reported, responded by organization” group (PR: 1.45, 95% CI: 0.87, 2.41). Similar trends were observed in the analysis with verbal abuse. Conclusions Our findings suggest that organizational responses could play a critical role in mitigating depressive symptoms among EMS providers who experience violence at work.

<p>Mental Health Problems in Chinese Healthcare Workers Exposed to Workplace Violence During the COVID-19 Outbreak: A Cross-Sectional Study Using Propensity Score Matching Analysis</p>

“…Similarly, a substantial part of the literature has found that workplace violence may increase the prevalence of anxiety and depression among healthcare workers. 17,[33][34][35] In the context of the COVID-19 outbreak, exposure to violence may further exacerbate the already unprecedented COVID-19-related stress and burnout that healthcare workers are experiencing. 13 Consequently, exposure to violence has detrimental effects on healthcare workers' mental health.…”

Workplace violence experience among nurses at a selected University Teaching Hospital in Rwanda

“…Therefore, working with suffering persons generates WPV since they are likely frustrated and irritated due to their illness and pain. It was found that suffering persons are impatient in the matter of waiting time as long as they are often expecting to receive punctual care [ 38 ]. Violence is common amongst healthcare workers in contact with them and it is frequently reflected as an unavoidable part of the occupation [ 38 ].…”

“…It was found that suffering persons are impatient in the matter of waiting time as long as they are often expecting to receive punctual care [ 38 ]. Violence is common amongst healthcare workers in contact with them and it is frequently reflected as an unavoidable part of the occupation [ 38 ]. This is the case of the nurses giving emergency care, or working in accident and emergency and for nurses working with patients with HIV/AIDS.…”

Gender differences in under-reporting hiring discrimination in Korea: a machine learning approach

“…The gender difference in underreporting hiring discrimination observed in this study could be public health concerns. Although previous studies have indicated that not disclosing a violent event to others can negatively influence the victims' health [41][42][43], few studies examine the underestimating the health impacts of discrimination due to under-reporting. As a posthoc analysis, we examined the association between hiring discrimination and self-rated health after dividing the response to hiring discrimination among the entire population into four…”