Bullying in the Australian medical workforce: cross-sectional data from an Australian e-Cohort study

Askew, Deborah A., Schluter, Philip J., Dick, Marie-Louise, Régo, Patricia M., Turner, Catherine and Wilkinson, David (2012) Bullying in the Australian medical workforce: cross-sectional data from an Australian e-Cohort study. Australian Health Review, 36 2: 197-204.

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Author Askew, Deborah A.
Schluter, Philip J.
Dick, Marie-Louise
Régo, Patricia M.
Turner, Catherine
Wilkinson, David
Title Bullying in the Australian medical workforce: cross-sectional data from an Australian e-Cohort study
Journal name Australian Health Review  (ERA 2012 Listed)    (ERA 2010 Rank C)   Check publisher's open access policy
Publication date 2012-05-25
Sub-type Article
DOI 10.1071/AH11048
Volume number 36
Issue number 2
ISSN 0156-5788; 1449-8944
Start page 197
End page 204
Total pages 8
Place of publication Collingwood, Vic., Australia
Publisher CSIRO Publishing
Collection year 2013
Language eng
Formatted abstract Objective. This study aimed to describe the prevalence of perceived workplace bullying in the Australian medical workforce, and investigate the relationship between workplace bullying and job satisfaction, health status, and current and planned medical workforce participation.
Methods. An electronic cross-sectional survey of doctors currently in the paid workforce, conducted between April 2008 and October 2009, was nested within a longitudinal cohort study investigating factors affecting the recruitment and retention of the Australian medical workforce. To address the specific aims of this study, a subset of questions in the survey investigated the prevalence of self-reported bullying; physical and mental health; workforce participation patterns; job satisfaction; and job stressors.
Results. Seven hundred and forty-seven participants responded to the bullying question and were included in this analysis. Twenty-five percent of participants reported being bullied in the last 12 months. There were no differences in the reported rates of bullying across age groups, sex and country of medical qualification. Bullied doctors were least satisfied with their jobs (P < 0.001), had taken more sick leave in the last 12 months (P < 0.001), and were more likely to be planning to decrease the number of hours worked in medicine in the next 12 months (P = 0.01) or ceasing direct patient care in the next 5 years (independent of their age or the number of hours currently worked in patient care) (P = 0.006).
Conclusions. Our findings suggest that Australian doctors, independent of age or sex, have experienced workplace bullying, and although no conclusions can be made about causal pathways, there were strong associations between this exposure and poorer health and wellbeing, and on remaining in the medical workforce.
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Created: Thu, 21 Jun 2012, 15:10:08 EST by Philip Schluter on behalf of School of Nursing and Midwifery