Workplace violence and risk for psychiatric morbidity among health workers in a tertiary health care setting in Nigeria: Prevalence and correlates

• Published in: Psychiatry research 2019-02, Vol.272, p.730-736
• Main Authors: Seun-Fadipe, Champion T., Akinsulore, Adesanmi A., Oginni, Olakunle A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Health Personnel - psychology; Health Personnel - trends; Healthcare workers; Humans; Male; Mental Disorders - diagnosis; Mental Disorders - epidemiology; Mental Disorders - psychology; Middle Aged; Nigeria; Nigeria - epidemiology; Prevalence; Psychiatric morbidity; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tertiary Healthcare - trends; Workplace - psychology; Workplace violence; Workplace Violence - psychology; Workplace Violence - trends
• ISSN: 0165-1781; 1872-7123
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.12.177

•The risk of psychiatric morbidity is high among health workers in Nigeria.•Health workers in the Nigerian health care setting experience high workplace violence, with verbal abuse the commonest type.•Working in the psychiatric work setting is associated with the highest risk of workplace violence in this study.•There is a significant association between workplace violence and risk of psychiatric morbidity in the study. The objectives were to evaluate the workplace violence and risk for psychiatric morbidity, as well as their correlates, among health workers in a tertiary healthcare setting in Nigeria. A stratified random sampling technique was used to recruit the health workers. Each participant was administered a socio-demographic questionnaire, the ILO/ICN/WHO/PSI Workplace Violence Questionnaire and the 12- item General Health Questionnaire. A total of 380 health workers were recruited, with a mean age of 36.4 (±7.64) years. The prevalence rates of workplace violence and risk of psychiatric morbidity were 39.9% and 38.5%. Factors with independent associations with workplace violence included young age, female sex and worry about workplace violence while a widowed, separated or divorced marital status and being victim of workplace violence independently increased risk for developing psychiatric morbidity. This study therefore showed that workplace violence is common in the health care setting, and significant proportion of workers are at risk for developing psychiatric morbidity. These observations suggest need for the regular mental health screening of health workers, as well as the need for programmes aimed at preventing workplace violence in this setting.