Sexual harassment in the workplace linked to depression

Conclusions This study in general supports the understanding that sexual harassment can have harmful effects on mental health – regardless of whether it comes from clients or colleagues. It's also perhaps unsurprising that health or care workers were more likely to report sexual harassment from clients or customers, as they generally have more close interaction with members of the public than many other professions. The researchers also pointed out that sexual harassment by clients or customers should not be normalised or ignored by employers. This study has advantages in its large sample size and thorough assessments, and will provide a valuable contribution to research in this area. But as a piece of evidence, it still can't prove that sexual harassment directly causes depression, no matter how likely this may seem. The study had many limitations, including: This is a cross-sectional assessment, and participants were asked about symptoms of depression at the same time as they were questioned about harassment. It's not possible to determine the direction of the relationship and know whether harassment preceded depression symptoms. The people involved aren't necessarily representative of all employees. Only half of eligible employees responded to the two surveys in the study. There may be differences in those who chose to respond and those who did not. People who are being harassed in their workplace may be less likely to want to complete a survey on their workplace...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Mental health Source Type: news