Psychiatr. praxi. 2021;22(3):132-137 | DOI: 10.36290/psy.2021.029

Mobbing in workplace: mechanisms and condsequences

MUDr. Vlastimil Nesnídal¹, prof. MUDr. Ján Praško, CSc.^{1, 2, 3}, PhDr. Marie Ocisková, Ph.D.¹, MUDr. Lucie Bundárová¹, Mgr. František Hodný¹, MUDr. Kryštof Kantor¹, MUDr. Kristýna Vrbová, Ph.D.¹, PhDr. Michaela Holubová, Ph.D.^{1, 4, 5}, MUDr. Jonáš Boček¹, MUDr. Jakub Vaněk¹, doc. PhDr. Miloš Šlepecký, Ph.D.²

¹ Klinika psychiatrie, Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci, Lékařská fakulta a Fakultní nemocnice Olomouc

² Univerzita Konštantína Filozofa v Nitre, Fakulta sociálnych vied a zdravotnictva, Katedra psychologických vied, Slovensko

³ Katedra psychoterapie, IPVZ Praha

⁴ Katedra pedagogiky a psychologie, Fakulta přírodovědně‑humanitní a pedagogická, Technická univerzita v Liberci

⁵ Centrum psychiatrie, Krajská nemocnice Liberec, a. s.

Mobbing is the recurring inadequate behavior of a group against an individual. This behavior can take the form of verbal aggression such as insults, threats, unilateral slander, harassment or exclusion from society, and sometimes physical aggression. Mobbing is characterized by a disproportionate force of actors, with the victim most often in a significantly weaker position. It is often a subordinate, but the bullying of a superior by subordinates is no exception. In the informal hierarchy of the group, bullied people are usually on the margins, they tend to be so-called "black sheep". The essence of mobbing is the mental and physical degradation of an individual. This behavior can then affect job satisfaction and be associated with burnout. Other consequences are the victim's poorer physical and mental health, including a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease and the risk of developing mental disorders, especially adaptation disorders, mood disorders or other anxiety disorders. A higher incidence of anxiety and mood disorders in early adulthood has also been observed in those bullied at a younger age. Conversely, from the offender's point of view, mobbing may be associated with specific personality characteristics, diagnosis of personality disorder, impulsivity and self-confidence, and a lower ability to self-reflect and decentre.

Keywords: workplace bullying, mobbing, mental health, burn out syndrome, health problem.

Published: October 14, 2021  Show citation