Negative Acts at Work as Potential Bullying Behavior and Depression: Examining the Direction of the Association in a 2-Year Follow-Up Study

TY - JOUR

T1 - Negative Acts at Work as Potential Bullying Behavior and Depression

T2 - Examining the Direction of the Association in a 2-Year Follow-Up Study

AU - Høgh (Hogh), Annie

AU - Conway, Paul Maurice

AU - Grynderup, Matias Brødsgaard

AU - Gullander, Maria

AU - Willert, Morten

AU - Mikkelsen, Eva Gemzøe

AU - Persson, Roger

AU - Bonde, Jens Peter

AU - Kolstad, Henrik Albert

AU - Mors, Niels Peter Ole

AU - Rugulies, Reiner

AU - Kaerlev, Linda

AU - Hansen, Åse Marie

PY - 2016/3

Y1 - 2016/3

N2 - Objective: This study investigates the 2-year prospective association between exposure to negative acts at work and depression.Methods: A questionnaire study was carried out among 3363 employees and followed up 2 years later. Negative acts as potential bullying behavior were assessed by the Revised Negative Acts Questionnaire and depression by The Major Depression Inventory or Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry interviews. Logistic regression analyses tested potential associations between depression and negative acts.Results: Exposure to negative acts was associated with depression 2 years later; however, when adjusting for Sense of Coherence and depressive symptoms at baseline the association was no longer significant. Conversely, depression at baseline predicted self-reported exposure to negative acts at follow-up.Conclusions: Depression predicts exposure to negative acts at a 2-year follow-up, whereas negative acts do not predict depression after adjustment for Sense of Coherence and baseline depressive symptoms.

AB - Objective: This study investigates the 2-year prospective association between exposure to negative acts at work and depression.Methods: A questionnaire study was carried out among 3363 employees and followed up 2 years later. Negative acts as potential bullying behavior were assessed by the Revised Negative Acts Questionnaire and depression by The Major Depression Inventory or Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry interviews. Logistic regression analyses tested potential associations between depression and negative acts.Results: Exposure to negative acts was associated with depression 2 years later; however, when adjusting for Sense of Coherence and depressive symptoms at baseline the association was no longer significant. Conversely, depression at baseline predicted self-reported exposure to negative acts at follow-up.Conclusions: Depression predicts exposure to negative acts at a 2-year follow-up, whereas negative acts do not predict depression after adjustment for Sense of Coherence and baseline depressive symptoms.

KW - Faculty of Social Sciences

KW - bullying behaviour

KW - DEPRESSION

U2 - 10.1097/JOM.0000000000000622

DO - 10.1097/JOM.0000000000000622

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 26949892

SN - 1076-2752

VL - 58

SP - e72-e79

JO - Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

JF - Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

IS - 3

ER -