A clinical study of musculoskeletal dysfunction in targets of workplace bullying

Figures & data

Figure 1. Overview of the Jobbfast study sample.

Table 1. Characteristics of bullied patients.

Sample	All (n = 144)	Women (n = 117)	Men (n = 27)
Age, Median (Range)	52 (27–64)	52 (27–64)	52 (33–64)
Ongoing musculoskeletal disorder, n (%)	65 (45.1%)	53 (45.3%)	12 (44.4%)
Pain, VAS - Mean (SD)	4.6 (2.3)	4.7 (2.3)	4.1 (2.3)
Pain drawing^a	14 (0–84)^b	15 (0–84)^b	11 (0–70)
No pain, n (%)	5 (3.5 %)	4 (3.5%)	1 (3.7%)
Pain – head/neck/shoulder, n (%)	18 (12.7%)	15 (13.0%)	3 (11.1%)
Pain – lower back/legs, n (%)	9 (6.3%)	5 (4.3%)	4 (14.8%)
Pain – widespread, n (%)	110 (77.5%)	91 (79.1%)	19 (70.4%)
Musculoskeletal index (MSI), Mean (SD)	1.46 (1.4)	1.49 (1.4)	1.54 (1.5)
HADS Anxiety score, Mean (SD)	10.3 (4.4)	9.9 (4.5)	12.2 (3.2)
HADS Depression score, Mean (SD)	8.4 (4.6)	7.9 (4.7)	10.7 (3.2)
History of sexual abuse, n (%)	18 (12.5 %)	16 (13.7 %)	2 (7.4 %)
Negative Acts Questionnaire (NAQ) Mean (Range)	52 (33–101)	52 (33–101)	48 (33–83)
No bullying, n (%) (<33)	0	0	0
Low intensity bullying, n (%) (33–44)	43 (29.9%)	29 (24.8%)	10 (37.0%)
High intensity bullying, n (%) (≥45)	101 (70.1%)	88 (75.2%)	17 (63.0%)
IES-R, Mean (SD)	42.9 (15.4)	42.2 (25.9)	45.4 (14.3)

VAS: Visual analogue scale; HADS: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; IES-R: Impact of Events Scale, revised version.

^aNumber of marked squares; ^b2 missing.

Figure 2. Results of the physiotherapy examination GPE-52 in bullied patients compared to 247 patients diagnosed with long-lasting MSD and 104 healthy individuals.

Table 2. Mean values (and standard deviation) of GPE-52 within 13 subdomains and total sum score in bullied patients; whole sample, and women and men separately.

GPE-52 domains	All bullied patients n = 144	Bullied women n = 117	Bullied Men n = 27
Posture standing	3.3 (1.0)	3.3 (1.0)	3.2 (1.1)
Posture supine	2.8 (1.1)	2.7 (1.1)	3.1 (1.3)
Respiration standing	4.7 (0.9)	4.8 (1.0)	4.4 (0.7)
Respiration supine	2.4 (0.8)	2.4 (0.8)	2.2 (0.5)
Passive ROM*	2.7 (1.5)	2.5 (1.3)	3.7 (1.7)
Flexibility*	4.6 (1.6)	4.4 (1.6)	5.4 (1.6)
Passive movement*	3.6 (1.5)	3.4 (1.5)	4.4 (1.1)
Active movement	3.0 (1.1)	3.0 (1.1)	3.2 (1.0)
Muscle stretch palpation	4.1 (0.9)	4.1 (1.0)	4.1 (0.8)
Muscle reaction to stretch	4.6 (1.1)	4.7 (1.2)	4.4 (0.9)
Muscle pressure palpation	4.2 (0.7)	4.3 (0.7)	4.2 (0.6)
Skin pressure palpation*	3.5 (1.1)	3.6 (1.1)	2.9 (1.0)
Skin stretch palpation	2.9 (1.5)	2.9 (1.5)	2.7 (1.3)
Total GPE-52 Sum-score	46.3 (6.7)	45.9 (6.8)	47.8 (6.0)

GPE-52: the Global Physiotherapy Examination – 52; ROM: range of motion.

*The difference between women and men is significant with p-value <0.01.

Figure 3. Correlations between all bullied patients’ self-reported symptoms and the clinical findings in the physiotherapy examination GPE-52. Correlations with 95% CI.

Table 3. Correlations for bullied women (n = 117) and men (n = 27).

	HADS-A		HADS-D		MSI		IES-R
	Women	Men	Women (n = 115)	Men	Women (n = 112)	Men (n = 25)	Women	Men
Total GPE-52 Sum score	0.25**	0.21	0.29**	−0.01	0.35**	0.34	0.23*	0.05
Posture standing	0.16	−0.06	0.14	0.05	0.09	0.01	0.08	0.26
Posture supine	−0.08	0.01	−0.05	−0.22	0.06	0.00	−0.00	0.07
Respiration standing	0.08	0.32	0.20*	0.16	0.09	0.36	0.07	0.26
Respiration supine	0.12	−0.07	0.21*	−0.05	0.14	−0.22	0.19*	−0.02
Passive ROM	0.14	0.37	−0.13	−0.06	0.04	0.38	0.09	0.21
Flexibility	0.37**	0.10	0.37**	0.07	0.35**	0.24	0.38**	−0.07
Passive movement	0.25**	−0.11	0.10	−0.24	0.14	−0.22	0.10	−0.08
Active movement	0.15	−0.18	0.09	−0.33	0.22*	−0.19	0.19*	−0.38
Muscle Stretch palpation	0.11	0.22	0.25**	0.17	0.30**	0.31	0.08	−0.06
Muscle Reaction to stretch	0.31**	−0.07	0.24**	−0.16	0.39**	0.07	0.21*	−0.07
Muscle Pressure palpation	0.05	0.27	0.21*	0.09	0.10	0.39	0.01	0.06
Skin Pressure palpation	−0.15	0.24	0.07	0.30	0.09	0.33	−0.07	0.04
Skin Stretch palpation	−0.04	0.04	0.15	0.15	0.05	0.31	0.02	0.21

Note. The associations between GPE-52 and its subdomains on one side and HADS, MSI and IES-R on the other, assessed by Spearman correlations.

GPE-52: The Global Physiotherapy Examination 52; HADS: Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale; HADS-A: Anxiety subscale of HADS; HADS-D: Depression subscale of HADS; MSI: Musculoskeletal Index; IES-R: Impact of Events Scale, revised version.

*Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed); **correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

Data availability statement

Readers who want access to data should contact the first author. Data will be made available in line with data protection procedures of the said hospital.