Workplace violence and self-reported physical and mental health

A national cross-sectional study in Lebanon

Bibliographic Data

ID19551972
AuthorsHazar Shamas (0009-0006-9929-2171, American University of Beirut), Ghada E Saad (0000-0001-6163-4822, American University of Beirut), Ghada SAAD (American University of Beirut), Myriam Dagher (American University of Beirut), Rita Itani (American University of Beirut), Ali Abboud (0000-0001-7465-3045, American University of Beirut), Stephen J McCall (0000-0003-0078-7010, American University of Beirut), WOMENA Study Group
Year2026
Volume16
Pages04030-04030
Publication date2026-02-27
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Global Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2047-2978 • E-ISSN: 2047-2986
PublisherInternational Society of Global Health (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.7189/jogh.16.04030
PMID41747080
OpenAlexW7131625723
LanguageEN
References cited36

Background: Few studies have investigated the prevalence of workplace violence (WPV) - defined as any physical or psychological violence experienced in the workplace - in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. We aimed to examine the determinants of WPV and its association with self-reported physical and mental health among employed adults residing in Lebanon. Methods: This was a national cross-sectional study among working-age residents of Lebanon recruited through random digit dialling. Data were collected from January to July 2024. The main exposure of interest was WPV, defined as having experienced at least one incident of physical or psychological violence in the past six months. We measured three outcomes - depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and poor physical health - using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Global Health 1.2 scales, respectively. Adjusted logistic regression models, accounting for covariates identified through directed acyclic graphs, estimated the association between WPV and each outcome, separately. Results: We enrolled 3076 employed participants with a median age of 37 years (interquartile range = 28-46), of whom 30.5% had completed college or postgraduate education and 24.9% were non-Lebanese. Almost 16% of participants experienced at least one form of WPV. Moreover, 33.4%, 25.5%, and 75.7% experienced depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and reported poor physical health, respectively. Being exposed to WPV increased the odds of depressive symptoms (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 3.00; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.40-3.70), anxiety symptoms (aOR = 3.01; 95% CI = 2.41-3.72), and poor physical health (aOR = 2.82; 95% CI = 2.04-3.98) after adjusting for age, sex, education, nationality, marital status, urbanicity, and job sector. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the extent and effect of WPV among workers in Lebanon and the urgent need to address the matter. Findings offer a basis for developing targeted interventions aimed to support vulnerable workers

Mental health · Occupational safety and health · Poison control · Psychological intervention · Suicide prevention · Workplace violence · Human Factors and Ergonomics · Intimate Partner and Family Violence · Occupational Health and Safety Research · Workplace Violence and Bullying

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