Workplace bullying is real. Some workers experience it more than others, and according to a new study published by researchers at the Oxford Academy, these stressors could increase a person's chances of developing diseases that specifically affect the heart.
Researchers found that people who are exposed to violence or bullying while on the job are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than individuals who have a positive workspace. The study included nearly 80,000 employed men and women between the ages of 19 and 64. None of whom had a history of heart disease or heart-related issues.
In the group, 9% reported experiencing workplace bullying and 13% said they'd been exposed to some level of violence on the job in the last year.
"Sometimes there's those domineering personalities types that don't like to be threatened if someone else is coming in that's really good, so they might bully that person," says Matt Tibbetts, who works as a Sales and Training Coordinator at Express Employment Professionals in Tyler.
"What can we do about it? Pull in the feedback loop. Find out ways to do anonymous surveys. Find out ways to partner with someone like Express Employment Professionals where you can say, 'Hey, we're having this issue here. How can we figure out what's going on?' A lot of times, it's that third set of eyes that sees it right away."
After an average of 12-years, about 4% of the workers studied were diagnosed with heart disease or hospitalized for other health-related issues. Those bullied at work were 59-percent more likely to be included in that percentage.
Severe stress may also contribute to high blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of heart disease.
Bullying, or psychologically aggressive behavior, affected from 8 percent to 13 percent of workers across three different surveys examined in the study. Most bullies were colleagues, supervisors or subordinates, rather than clients or other individuals outside the workplace.
Health professionals say these types of stressors can also contribute to mood disorders like anxiety and depression and fuel unhealthy behaviors like smoking and overeating.