Exposure of workplace bullying and post-traumatic stress disorder among female health care workers –A developing Country's Perspective

Authors: Ahsan Ali Ashraf

In contemporary times, workplace bullying of female healthcare workers has become a pressing issue that is difficult to control and is affecting organizations worldwide. This study aims to explore the association between workplace bullying as a social stressor and three dimensions of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - intrusion, hyperarousal, and avoidance stress - among female nurses and doctors working in public and private sector hospitals in Pakistan. Additionally, the research investigates the moderating impact of instrumental climate on this relationship. The study collected data from 300 female healthcare workers in hospitals across Pakistan and utilized Hierarchal Regression Analysis to analyze the findings. The results indicate that workplace bullying significantly and positively correlates with PTSD dimensions (intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal) among female healthcare workers. Furthermore, the study found that instrumental climate moderates this relationship. The research contributes to the field by addressing a gap in the literature and exploring workplace bullying and PTSD's relationship in female healthcare workers while considering the unfavorable climate known as instrumental climate.