Repeated bullying at the workplace in medical students and young doctors: the MESSIAEN national study

Despite clues indicating high Bullying at the Work Place (BWP) rates in French hospitals, there has been no quantitative study so far. To determine the prevalence of repeated BWP in a national sample of French young physicians; its risk factors, and the mental health consequences of BWP. The study is a cross-sectional observational epidemiological national study addressed to young physicians. The online internet anonymous questionnaire was elaborated according to previous studies exploring BWP. In addition, we explored the quality of initial training. BWP was defined according to the French legal definition. Mental health was assessed by Hamilton Anxiety and Depression scale, psychotropic drug consumption and psychotherapy follow-up. A Structured Equation Modeling (SEM) was carried out to confirm our theoretical model. 2003 participants of the 37 French medical faculties were included. At least one history of BWP was identified in 41.7% of the participants. The SEM model showed good fit (RMSEA = 0.025, CFI = 0.93, TLI = 0.92, WRMR = 1.285). In the SEM model, BWP was associated with age and number of monthly night shifts and weekly worked hours. Obstetric gynecology, psychiatry, surgery, and medical specialties and low-quality initial training were associated with higher risk of BWP. BWP was associated with increased anxiety and depressive symptoms, daily antidepressant and anxiolytic consumption, and psychotherapy follow-up. Decreasing worked hours and night shifts and improving the quality of the initial training may help preventing BWP among medical students and young physicians. Obstetric gynecology, surgical and medical specialties, and psychiatry should be targeted with a focus on developing prevention programs.

Automated summary

Despite indications of high rates of Bullying at the Work Place (BWP) in French hospitals, there has been no quantitative study conducted so far. This study found that 41.7% of young physicians in France have experienced BWP, and factors such as age, number of night shifts, and weekly work hours were associated with BWP. Obstetric gynecology, psychiatry, surgery, medical specialties, and low-quality initial training were identified as high-risk factors for BWP among medical students and young physicians.