Effects of chronic workplace harassment on mental health and alcohol misuse: a long-term follow-up

BACKGROUND: Research on the impacts of exposure to workplace harassment (WH) is largely cross-sectional, and existing prospective studies generally are between two and five years of follow-up, with the longest US study being 10 years. However, the effects of exposure to WH may persist longer, particularly if exposure has been chronic. This study fills this gap by examining effects of prior exposure to chronic sexual and generalized WH on psychological distress and alcohol misuse over an approximately 25 year study period. METHODS: Individuals originally recruited from a university-employed sample in the United States were surveyed at 8 time points from 1996–2007 and again in 2020–2021. A series of hybrid path analyses were tested on a sample of 2352 individuals, regressing recent outcomes on latent classes of harassment derived from earlier survey waves, controlling baseline outcomes and demographics. Model fit was assessed using a variety of fit statistics, and standardized regression coefficients were used to assess significance of individual pathways. RESULTS: Prior exposure to chronic sexual harassment had significant direct associations with psychological distress, alcohol misuse, and recent stressors at follow-up. Prior exposure to chronic generalized harassment had significant direct associations with lower income and alcohol misuse. Both forms of WH were significantly indirectly associated with psychological distress through recent stressors at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to chronic WH is associated with long-term effects on psychological distress and alcohol misuse in a sample representing a wide variety of job types and racial/ethnic identities. Enforcement of anti-sexual harassment law and policies and enactment of policies and laws to prevent generalized harassment/workplace bullying are imperative for the protection of worker health. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-023-16219-0.