Verbal workplace violence in the health sector in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study

Psychological abuse, such as verbal abuse, has received less attention than physical violence because of the manifested bodily harm caused by physical violence; however, verbal abuse has the highest percentage of violence worldwide. The consequences of verbal abuse in Saudi Arabia are similar to those in other countries. This study aims to determine the prevalence of verbal workplace violence in 12 months, the circumstances related to the event, and the consequences to both the attacker and the target person at all healthcare providers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This cross-sectional study included all healthcare providers registered with the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties who had worked for more than one year in the health sector in Saudi Arabia by May 2019. The researchers distributed questionnaires to the participants via email. Descriptive statistics were used to represent the basic properties of the data. Correlations between categorically measured variables were explored using the chi-square test for independence. Overall, 7398 healthcare workers (HCWs) voluntarily participated in the study. Overall, 49.1% encountered verbal abuse. Those who worked in the private sector and in shifts, particularly evening shifts, were significantly exposed to verbal abuse. Furthermore, pharmacists, followed by physicians, had the highest prevalence of workplace violence. Workplace verbal violence is highly prevalent, making it a major concern. Patients and their relatives are mostly the offenders of HCWs. Psychological ordeal, increased overwork, and reduced work capacity are the consequences of verbal abuse. Most victims do not report verbal violence, and this may result in an incorrect estimation of the problem. Therefore, encouragement to report verbal violence and additional research in Saudi Arabia are required.