Mobbing and Its Impact on Interpersonal Relationships at the Workplace

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Occupational Health
• Psychology

Background:

• Mobbing, defined as repeated hostile conduct, negatively affects employee well-being and work environments.
• Understanding mobbing's prevalence in healthcare is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the existence, frequency, and intensity of mobbing among Portuguese nurses.
• To investigate the impact of mobbing on nurses' well-being and interpersonal relationships.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative, correlational, and cross-sectional study design.
• Data collected via questionnaires distributed to 3,227 nurses across 11 Portuguese institutions and online.
• Analysis of aggression types, intensity, and perceived motivations for mobbing.

Main Results:

• Nurses experience an average of 11 aggressive conducts at work.
• Communication blockage and discrediting were the most intense forms of mobbing.
• Horizontal and descending mobbing were predominant, with envy and innovation cited as motivations.
• Nearly half of victims reported health problems due to mobbing.

Conclusions:

• Mobbing is a significant issue within the Portuguese nursing population.
• The findings underscore the detrimental effects of mobbing on nurses' health and relationships.
• Addressing mobbing requires targeted strategies to improve the work environment for nurses.