[A model for psychological assessment of mobbing]

The phenomenon "mobbing" has been studied scientifically for twenty years. In this period, researchers have elaborated progressively more complex explanations for it. Despite the attempts to examine mobbing closely, and to define it accurately, further investigation, aimed at quantifying the factors that characterize it, is still needed. This study proposes a method for assessing mobbing and the personality features linked to it. The model was tested on a sample of 29 outpatients (19 males, 10 females) asking medical assistance for work-related psychopathological problems. Focusing on the occupational history and work environment, a psychological diagnosis (DSM IV-axis I) was made for 27 of them: 14 cases of generalized anxiety disorder, 6 subjects with depressive disorder, 1 dysthymic disorder, 1 post-traumatic stress disorder, 2 cases of adaptation disorder, 3 patients with personality disorder. Although the number of the examined subjects is limited, the proposed model seems to be utilizable in the clinical practice.