Workplace bullying, post-traumatic stress disorder and neck

Abstract

The investigations in recent years have shown that the epidemics of non-specific occupational neck and upper limb pain have arisen in various countries without any abrupt corresponding changes in occupational physical workload. The occupational psychosocial factors have been identified as being associated with a high prevalence and incidence of neck, shoulder and arm pain. Workplace bullying seems to be a phenomenon prevailing in many organizations with its negative psychosomatic health effects. Seafaring as occupation of extreme isolation from the society and the family, the prevalence of workplace bullying among seafarers is of special interest. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), featuring in triad of symptoms: intrusions, avoidance and emotional numbing, hyperaruosal, has been implicated in poor medical and psychiatric outcomes in various trauma-exposed populations. The recent investigations have shown that workplace bullying as long lasting traumatic experience with the symptoms of victimization may lead to PTSD. The aim of our study was to assess the prevalence of workplace bullying, PTSD among seafarers and to estimate the associations between workplace bullying, PTSD and neck/shoulder and arm pain. Methods The study was performed among seafarers, attending the mandatory health examination in the Maritime Medical Centre in Klaipeda. Totally 370 seafarers [...].