Understanding the Burden of Mental Illness Induced by Workplace Mobbing: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Background: Workplace mobbing affects approximately 20% of workers worldwide, yet about 70% of victims do not report it, limiting the full understanding of its true impact. While previous research has established its association with mental health disorders, the broader burden—including burden of disease (BOD), cost of illness (COI), and productivity loss (PL)—remains underexplored. This scoping review aims to address this gap by mapping the existing literature on the BOD and economic costs associated with mobbing-related mental health disorders.

Methods: We conducted a scoping review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. A systematic search in National Library of Medicine's bibliographic database (MEDLINE), Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS), Embase, Scopus, and PsycInfo databases (until June 30, 2021) identified primary studies and reviews assessing BOD, COI, or PL in adults exposed to workplace mobbing. Articles were screened independently by two reviewers in two phases (title/abstract and full-text review). Data extraction focused on study characteristics and key findings, which were categorized into predefined thematic domains.

Results: Fourteen studies published between 2008 and 2020 met the selection criteria (71.4% primary studies, 28.6% reviews). The definition of mobbing varied across studies, and frequently, different terms were used interchangeably. None of the included studies quantified disease burden using standard metrics such as disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Instead, PL was assessed indirectly through absenteeism, presenteeism, and work performance assessments.

Conclusions: Mobbing is a significant occupational health issue with substantial mental health implications, yet research on its economic and disease burden remains limited. The heterogeneity in definitions and methodologies across studies hampers comparability and synthesis. Future research should adopt standardized definitions and employ robust burden-of-disease frameworks, such as DALYs and Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs), to better quantify the impact of mobbing on mental health and work productivity.