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Workplace violence and psychosocial risks exposures: a multicenter cross-sectional study
Marina Moreno-Martínez1,2, Josep Vidal-Alaball1,2, Artur Dalfó-Pibernat3
1Unitat de Recerca i Innovació, Gerència d'Atenció Primària i a la Comunitat de la Catalunya Central, Institut Català de la Salut, Manresa, 08242, Spain.
BMC Public Health
|June 3, 2026
Summary
Workplace violence is common among primary healthcare professionals, with high emotional demands being a key risk factor. Addressing psychosocial conditions and organizational justice is crucial for worker well-being.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Healthcare Management
- Psychosocial Risk Factors
Background:
- Workplace violence is a significant occupational health issue in healthcare.
- It negatively impacts healthcare workers' physical and mental health and organizational performance.
- Primary healthcare professionals face unique challenges regarding workplace violence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of workplace violence in primary care settings.
- To investigate the association between workplace violence and sociodemographic characteristics, working conditions, and psychosocial risk factors.
- To identify independent predictors of workplace violence among primary healthcare professionals.
Main Methods:
- A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted in 2025 in Central Catalonia, Spain.
- Anonymous online questionnaires collected data on sociodemographics, working conditions, violence exposure, health outcomes, and psychosocial risks (COPSOQ III).
- Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, chi-square, Mann-Whitney U, Kendall's Tau-b, and multivariable logistic regression.
Main Results:
- 68.1% of 420 healthcare professionals reported workplace violence, predominantly verbal and psychological (98.6%).
- A positive association was found between adverse psychosocial risks and workplace violence.
- High emotional demands (aOR 7.34), being male (aOR 3.63), permanent contract (aOR 2.37), direct patient care (aOR 3.74), lack of organizational justice (aOR 2.23), and poor self-rated health (aOR 2.98) were significant predictors.
Conclusions:
- Workplace violence is highly prevalent in primary care, strongly linked to adverse psychosocial conditions.
- Managing emotional demands and improving organizational justice are key strategies for intervention.
- These strategies can support healthcare workers' well-being and mitigate the impact of workplace violence.
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