Association between workplace violence from patients and the mental health status of healthcare workers in Zhuhai China: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: Workplace violence (WPV) poses a serious occupational risk. This study aims to explore the association between WPV from patients and the occurrence of insomnia, depression, and anxiety among healthcare workers.

Methods: Information about the WPV from patients was collected by a self-designed questionnaire. Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) were used for the assessment of mental health. Logistic regression was used to explore the association between WPV from patients and insomnia, depression, and anxiety. Mediation analysis was used to evaluate the mediation effect of depression and anxiety on the relationships between WPV from patients and insomnia.

Results: Of 10,413 included healthcare workers, 40.05% experienced verbal violence, 6.44% experienced physical violence from patients in the past year. There is a significant association between verbal violence and insomnia (OR = 1.780, 95% CI: 1.591-1.990), depression (OR = 1.823, 95% CI: 1.640-2.026), and anxiety (OR = 1.831, 95% CI: 1.606-2.087), as well as physical violence (insomnia: OR = 1.220, 95% CI: 1.002-1.481; depression: OR = 1.274, 95% CI: 1.052-1.540; anxiety: OR = 1.316, 95% CI: 1.058-1.630). Moreover, depression and anxiety mediated the relationship between WPV and insomnia, the mediated proportion was 62.21% in the association between verbal violence and insomnia, and 60.22% in the association between physical violence and insomnia.

Conclusions: The association between WPV from patients and heightened risks of mental health issues emphasizes the necessity of supportive work environments. Recognizing the mediating role of depression and anxiety stresses the significance of tailored mental health training for healthcare staff.