Work-related psychopathology: Rates in different work activities
and relationship between subjective perception of work distress and psychiatric
disturbances
Affiliations: Work Psychopathology Medical Centre, Department of
Mental Health, Naples, Italy | Department of Economic, Legal and Social Studies,
University of Sannio, Benevento, Italy | Psychiatric Hospital Service, "V. Monaldi", Naples,
Italy | National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Institute of
Cybernetics, "E. Caianiello", Pozzuoli, Italy
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Giovanni Nolfe, Work Psychopathology
Medical Centre, Department of Mental Health Naples1-centre, Via Acton 55, 80132
Naples, Italy. Tel.: +39 0812547062; Fax: +39 0812547060; E-mail:
[email protected]
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The link between work distress and negative mental
health outcome is an emergent topic in the scientific literature. The studies
that evaluated the risk of work-related psychopathologies in the different job
sectors have obtained so far controversial and inconclusive results. The
identification, by means of standardized evaluation tools, of the work
activities at higher risk of poor mental health is a relevant target for the
occupational psychiatry and medicine. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the
relationship between the psychosocial work conditions and work related
psychiatric disturbances and to verify the relationship between the higher
pathogenic effect of work and specific job activities. PARTICIPANTS: A six-month diagnostic trial was conducted on 234 patients (35.4% women and
64.6% men). METHODS: Psychiatric diagnoses were according to DSM-IV
criteria; anxious and depressive dimensions were studied by means of
Hamilton-Anxiety-Scale and Hamilton Scale for Depression; psychosocial work
environments and bio-psycho-social features were measured by
Naples-Questionnaire of Work Distress. Groups with higher and lower
work-related pathogenesis were compared and their distribution among specific
job activities was evaluated. RESULTS: Mood disorders were strongly
linked to negative work environment. Patients with severe bullying obtained
higher scores on Hamilton-Anxiety-Scale and Hamilton Scale for Depression than
those with lower work-pathogenesis. The highest scores on Naples-Questionnaire
of Work Distress were related to mood disorders, to poorer bio-psycho-social
functioning and to higher work etiology. No significant relationship between
work activities and work-related psychopathologies was found. CONCLUSION: Workplace bullying is predictive of work-related psychiatric disturbances with
more severe clinical features and bio-psycho-social consequences. No
significant differences were found about the relationship between work-related
psychopathologies and work activities.
Keywords: Bullying at work, job stress, work environment, psychiatric assessment, bio-psycho-social functioning
