Workplace bullying: is there a difference by enterprise size?

OBJECTIVE

While relationships between working conditions, bullying and health issues have been proven, most studies have investigated these relationships in large enterprises (> 250 employees). Indeed, only a few studies have analyzed this issue in small firms, despite the fact that the latter differ from the former at multiple levels. Therefore, our objective was twofold: to assess whether the size of a firm had an impact on the frequency of workplace bullying and to identify whether the effects of bullying on workers' health differed according to the size of the company.

METHOD

Data from the 2010 SUMER French periodical cross-sectional survey were analyzed (N = 31,420 for the present study). Bullying at work was measured based on nine possible hostile attitudes derived from the French version of the Leymann Inventory of Psychological Terror. Two other questions measured colleague-to-colleague verbal violence and sexual or physical assaults. Anxious or depressive episodes were measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HAD). Other health issues were: perceived health status, sickness absence (at least one absence lasting more than eight days), and work injuries.

RESULTS

Our findings show that bullying at work was less frequent in micro enterprises (< 10 employees). Anxiety/depression, perceived health status, sickness absence (at least one lasting more than eight days) were significantly associated with workplace bullying, but the effects of bullying were significantly higher in micro enterprises (statistical interaction).

CONCLUSION

This study highlights how a firm's size influences workplace bullying and, in particular, the prevalence and consequences of bullying in micro enterprises. The implication and guidelines for practice are discussed.

Development of an evidence-based reference framework for care coordination interventions in France

Background

Today, the high variability of practices, the lack of common definitions and underlying concepts increases the existing difficulty to standardise, to replicate, to transpose and to assess the coordinated care. This heterogeneity makes very difficult the evaluation of performance of care coordination. The aim of the first phase of Epock study is to develop a theoretical framework for care coordination interventions in the French health system that can be used for description, implementation and evaluation of care coordination intervention in any clinical situation.

Methods

A review of systematic reviews on care coordination interventions was conducted to identify relevant models and constitutive elements of the expected reference framework for care coordination intervention. These elements resulting from the literature review have been grouped by themes, prioritised and selected by a structured consensus method (Nominal Group Technique).

Results

Four dimensions of care coordination were identified: (a) Underlying conceptual models; (b) Care organization, care and facilitation activities; (c) Actors and tools; and (d) Effects classified according to WHO’s quality of care dimensions. Among these dimensions, 4 to 28 elements have been selected to build the reference components of care coordination in France.

Conclusions

This first reference framework for care coordination interventions in France will be used during the Epock project phase 2 as a basis for comparing practices observed in oncology. This framework could be used as of now for: practice by helping to develop job descriptions and training programmes for future care coordination professionals; piloting to measure care coordination (by developing indicators for care coordination); and research, to evaluate the impact of care coordination interventions.

Key messages

Epock is a challenging French national research project for the development of an evidence-based reference framework for cancer care coordination interventions considered as a complex intervention. Epock will provide key elements for cancer care coordination intervention effective implementations and for designing further medico-economic evaluation of cancer care coordination intervention impact.

[Suicide among the French National Police forces: Implication of life events and life trajectories]

OBJECTIVES

Research indicates that suicide rates are high among members of law enforcement. Our objectives were: (1) to determine life events implicated in suicide mortality among French law enforcement; and (2) to describe the different life trajectories of police officers who deceased by suicide.

METHODS

All suicides of police officers which occurred during 2008 (n=49) were explored using the psychological autopsy method. Key informants were: a supervisor, a colleague and a member of the family or a close friend. Each of them were interviewed by trained psychologists using standardized questionnaires exploring: sociodemographic characteristics, life events, social integration and support, health service use, mental health with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview short form (CIDI-SF), occupational stress with the Spielberger Inventory, impulsiveness with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale and aggressiveness with the Brown-Goodwin Lifetime Aggression Scale. Information was then summarized in a timetable life trajectory of all life areas. All cases were finally appraised by at least two experts in order to identify the determinants of the suicide and to determine psychiatric diagnoses. For each period of time, a burdensomeness score was determined, from 6 (no adversity) to 1 (adversities in each sphere of life).

RESULTS

Of the 49 cases of suicide, two were excluded and 39 were investigated and appraised (response rate: 39/47=83%). Eighty-two percent of the suicide cases were men and the mean age at death was 35years. In more than half of the cases, police officers used their service weapon to commit suicide. All deceased police officers were suffering from mental health symptoms (primarily depression). Of them, two thirds had used healthcare for this distress. The main other cause of suicide was problems in the married life (70% of the cases). Four distinct types of life trajectories of adversities could be identified by a qualitative analysis.

DISCUSSION

It is the first time such a study was performed in France, and results are concordant with those of the literature. This study showed that all deceased police officers were suffering from mental disorders and that there was not one single profile of life trajectory: screening and support of police officers in distress need to be prioritized. Moreover, results suggested that the availability of the service weapon during off-duty periods should be reconsidered. This study helped the Home ministry to elaborate and improve strategies to prevent suicide among police officers.

Cognitive hostility and suicide

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether a specific component of hostility (i.e. cognitive or behavioural) may predict suicide in a prospective design, controlling for depressive mood.

METHOD

In 1993, 14,752 members of the 'GAZ et ELectricité' (GAZEL) cohort (10,819 men, mean age=49.0 years; 3933 women, mean age=46.2 years) completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and at least one subscale (i.e. cognitive or behavioural hostility) of the Buss and Durkee Hostility Inventory. Dates and causes of death were obtained annually.

RESULTS

During a mean follow-up of 15.7 years, 28 participants completed suicide (24 men, four women). Suicide was predicted by depressive mood [relative index of inequality (RII) (95% CI)=8.16 (1.97-33.85)] and cognitive hostility [RII (95% CI)=10.76 (2.50-46.42)], but not behavioural hostility [RII (95% CI)=1.37 (0.38-4.97)]. These associations remained significant after adjustment for potential confounders. After mutual adjustment, however, suicide remained significantly associated with cognitive hostility [RII (95% CI)=8.87 (1.52-51.71)] (RII reduction: 34.6%), but no longer with depressive mood [RII (95% CI)=2.03 (0.41-10.07)] (RII reduction: 79.1%).

CONCLUSION

Cognitive rather than behavioural hostility is associated with an increased risk of suicide, independently of baseline depressive mood.

Determinants of smoking cessation attempts among HIV-infected patients results from a hospital-based prospective cohort

BACKGROUND

Non-acquired immune-deficiency syndrome (AIDS) defining malignancies (especially lung cancer) and bacterial infections as well as cardiovascular diseases now account for almost one third of deaths and morbid events in treated patients infected by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Tobacco smoking is a major modifiable risk factor of these emergent conditions and almost half of these patients are regular smokers in resource-rich countries.

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the effect of HIV infection characteristics on smoking cessation attempts among HIV-infected smokers.

METHODS

All smokers of the ANRS CO3 Aquitaine Cohort with at least two visits between 2000 and 2005 were included in this analysis. The probability of smoking cessation attempts was estimated using survival analyses for recurrent events (frailty model). Covariates were CD4 cell count, gender, age, HIV transmission categories, duration since HIV-diagnosis, AIDS stage, antiretroviral therapy, and cardiovascular history.

RESULTS

Among 2223 smokers, 743 attempted to quit smoking at least once. The incidence of smoking cessation attempt was lower among patients infected through injection drug use (IDU) and was higher among patients aged 50 or older (HR=1.4), those with a known duration of HIV infection >15 years (HR=1.5), and those who had already tried to quit smoking once (HR=4.2) or more (HR=5.8).

DISCUSSION

Traditional characteristics associated with smoking cessation attempts are the most important to explain smoking cessation attempts in HIV-infected patients. These results indicate that strategies successfully implemented in other populations should be reinforced to fit the needs of HIV-infected patients.

Disruptive behaviors and early sexual intercourse: The GAZEL Youth Study

Sexual health-risk behaviors in disruptive children are poorly understood. In a longitudinal population-based sample, event-time analyses showed that subjects with high levels of conduct disorder symptoms, particularly in combination with simultaneously high levels of hyperactivity-inattention symptoms, exhibited the highest risk for earlier sexual activity compared to controls, suggesting the need for prevention.

Hyperactivity-inattention symptoms in childhood and suicidal behaviors in adolescence: the Youth Gazel Cohort

OBJECTIVE

Although a link has been suggested between attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and completed suicide, little is known about the association with suicidal behaviors in community settings. This study addresses the relationship between childhood hyperactivity-inattention symptoms (HI-s) and subsequent suicidal behaviors.

METHOD

Nine hundred sixteen subjects aged 7-18 were recruited from the general population and surveyed in 1991 and 1999. Parent and adolescent self-reports provided psychopathology and suicidal behavior pattern measures. Multivariate modeling was used to evaluate the effects of childhood HI-s and other risk factors on adolescent suicidal behaviors.

RESULTS

In males, HI-s independently accounted for the risk of lifetime suicide plans/attempts (OR=3.25, P = 0.02) and adolescent 12-month prevalence rates of suicide plans/attempts (OR=5.46, P = 0.03). In females, HI-s did not independently heighten the likelihood of suicidal behaviors.

CONCLUSION

This survey suggests a possible specific link between HI-s and suicide plans/attempts in males.

Lifetime psychiatric comorbidity with substance use disorders: does healthcare use modify the strength of associations ?

BACKGROUND

The frequent psychiatric comorbidity among subjects with a substance use disorder (SUD) can be explained by an increased vulnerability to problematic drug use among subjects with a non-substance-related psychiatric disorder (NSRPD). The care of this disorder should then reduce the likelihood of a secondary SUD.

OBJECTIVE

To examine how healthcare use for psychological symptoms modifies the lifetime association between SUD and NSRPD.

METHODS

Two hundred and twenty four students were evaluated for mental disorders and healthcare use. Mental disorders were assessed with the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Healthcare use included consultations with a general practitioner (GP), a psychiatrist or a psychologist. The lifetime occurrence of a SUD was analysed by lifetime number of NSRPD and healthcare use for psychological symptoms. Analyses were adjusted on gender, university affiliation, living environment and temperament and character dimensions.

RESULTS

Compared to subjects without NSRPD, those with at least two NSRPD who did not use healthcare were more likely to have had a lifetime SUD (OR = 3.9). By contrast, those who had only one NSRPD seemed to be as likely as those with no NSRPD to have had a SUD.

DISCUSSION

These results suggest a decreased probability of SUD among subjects with several NSRPD who used healthcare. Due to the cross-sectional design of this study, causal inferences cannot be drawn. This analysis shows the importance, however, of taking healthcare use into account in comorbidity studies.

Examining the influence of drop-outs in a follow-up of maintained opiate users

INTRODUCTION

In most longitudinal studies of problem opiate users, drop-outs are frequent, but not taken into account. However, missing data can induce important bias in parameters estimates.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to examine the influence of drop-outs in the statistical analysis of a follow-up of opiate users in maintenance treatment.

METHODS

Participants were 519 patients who had sought maintenance treatment between 1994 and 2001. Drug use was studied using the drug composite score of the Addiction Severity Index. A classical data analysis (linear mixed effects model for repeated measurements) was compared with a selection model, which consists, in this case, of a joint modelling of the score and of the drop-out probability in order to reduce bias induced by drop-outs.

RESULTS

At 18 months, 38% of the patients were available for evaluation. Drop-outs were associated with low drug use and were informative. Each model showed that the score decreased over time and that it was associated with psychiatric problems. Unlike the classical method, the joint model showed no significant association between the score and age or treatment setting.

CONCLUSIONS

These results show the importance of accounting for informative drop-outs in data analysis before drawing conclusions from such studies.