The 'Epidemic' of violence against junior doctors in Baghdad: reasons, impact and consequences

Violence against heath care workers in Iraq has reached an 'epidemic' level. It affects health care providers, receivers of care and the health system as a whole. This study aims to explore the reasons and impact of violence against junior doctors in Baghdad city. A sample of 223 junior doctors from 12 General and Teaching hospitals in Baghdad/Iraq were included in this survey. A semi-structured questionnaire was adopted that enquires about demographic and work characteristics, and details of workplace violent attacks. The results showed that 82% of the participants were either exposed to or witnessed workplace violence. The highest prevalence was among young newly graduated house officers. The source was mostly the patients' companions/relatives, and mainly attributed to work overload and lack of medicines/supplies. A significant positive association was found between exposure to WPV and all domains of burnout score. High emotional exhaustion was found in 79.1% of those exposed to WPV in comparison to 35.1% of those not exposed (p < 0.001). In addition, 39.1% of the participants met the criteria for potential risk of PTSD, while 11.2% showed the symptoms of a full PTSD diagnosis. Urgent practical interventions need to be undertaken by all those with influence and responsibility to control and reduce this behaviour.