Workplace harassment and its association with depression among postgraduate trainees at tertiary care hospital.
Abstract
Objective: To determine the prevalence of workplace harassment and to assess its association with depression among postgraduate trainees in a tertiary care hospital.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi. Eighty postgraduate trainees aged 25–45 years, enrolled in FCPS and MCPS programs, were selected through convenient sampling. Workplace harassment was assessed using the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (NAQ-R), with a score ≥23 indicating presence of harassment. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and categorized into none, mild, moderate, moderately severe, and severe. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and the association between workplace harassment and depression was assessed using the chi-square test. A p-value ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: The mean age of participants was 29.1 ± 3.2 years, and 52.5% were female. Workplace harassment was reported by 56 (70%) trainees. Depressive symptoms were present in 34 (42.5%) participants. Depression was significantly more prevalent among trainees exposed to harassment compared with those not exposed (53.6% vs. 16.7%, p<0.001).
Conclusion: Workplace harassment is highly prevalent among postgraduate trainees and is significantly associated with depressive symptoms. Institutional strategies focusing on prevention, early identification, and psychological support are essential to ensure a safe training environment.
Keywords:
Workplace harassment; Postgraduate medical trainees; Depression; Healthcare workplace; Occupational stress; Mental health
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