Workplace sexual harassment is associated with poor mental well-being among employees at a large Swedish university
Pilgaard, Frida LU ; Östergren, Per-Olof LU ; Priebe, Gisela LU and Agardh, Anette LU
(2025)
In Global Health Action
18(1).
- Abstract
BACKGROUND: Sexual harassment (SH) is a persistent problem at workplaces around the world, including academia.
OBJECTIVE: This study examines the association between SH and mental well-being among employees at Lund University (LU) in Sweden.
METHODS: Data was obtained from a cross-sectional survey targeting all LU employees in 2019. SH exposure was measured using a ten-item scale capturing SH experiences and enabling the differentiation between soliciting and non-soliciting types of SH. Validated instruments were used to measure two aspects of mental well-being; mental health (GHQ-12) and vitality (SF-36 vitality scale). Association between SH exposure and outcome variables was investigated through multivariable logistic... (More)
BACKGROUND: Sexual harassment (SH) is a persistent problem at workplaces around the world, including academia.
OBJECTIVE: This study examines the association between SH and mental well-being among employees at Lund University (LU) in Sweden.
METHODS: Data was obtained from a cross-sectional survey targeting all LU employees in 2019. SH exposure was measured using a ten-item scale capturing SH experiences and enabling the differentiation between soliciting and non-soliciting types of SH. Validated instruments were used to measure two aspects of mental well-being; mental health (GHQ-12) and vitality (SF-36 vitality scale). Association between SH exposure and outcome variables was investigated through multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusting for confounders. Modifying effects of gender, age, background and academic position, respectively, on the relation between SH and outcomes were studied.
RESULTS: Workplace SH was associated with poor mental health (PMH) (OR 1.5 (95% CI 1.1-2.0)) and low vitality (LV) (OR 1.8 (95% CI 1.3-2.5)) among women and with LV (OR 2.0 (95% CI 1.1-3.9)) among men, after adjusting for confounders. Among women, experiences of non-soliciting and soliciting SH combined were associated with PMH and LV. Among men, experiences of non-soliciting SH behaviours exclusively were associated with LV. Indications of synergistic interaction affecting the association between SH and LV were found related to age, background and academic position, but not gender.
CONCLUSIONS: Workplace SH is a significant risk factor for poor mental well-being, primarily among female, but also among male university employees. These findings can inform local policies for prevention of SH.
(Less)
- author
- Pilgaard, Frida
LU
; Östergren, Per-Olof
LU
; Priebe, Gisela
LU
and Agardh, Anette
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Humans, Female, Sweden, Male, Adult, Universities, Sexual Harassment/psychology, Cross-Sectional Studies, Workplace/psychology, Mental Health, Middle Aged, Surveys and Questionnaires, Young Adult, Sex Factors
- in
- Global Health Action
- volume
- 18
- issue
- 1
- article number
- 2465050
- publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85219109711
- pmid:39969584
- ISSN
- 1654-9716
- DOI
- 10.1080/16549716.2025.2465050
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 0aaca2b2-66b2-4971-9c7a-8aecc548f388
- date added to LUP
- 2025-02-28 09:07:48
- date last changed
- 2025-07-04 14:29:57
@article{0aaca2b2-66b2-4971-9c7a-8aecc548f388,
abstract = {{<p>BACKGROUND: Sexual harassment (SH) is a persistent problem at workplaces around the world, including academia.</p><p>OBJECTIVE: This study examines the association between SH and mental well-being among employees at Lund University (LU) in Sweden.</p><p>METHODS: Data was obtained from a cross-sectional survey targeting all LU employees in 2019. SH exposure was measured using a ten-item scale capturing SH experiences and enabling the differentiation between soliciting and non-soliciting types of SH. Validated instruments were used to measure two aspects of mental well-being; mental health (GHQ-12) and vitality (SF-36 vitality scale). Association between SH exposure and outcome variables was investigated through multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusting for confounders. Modifying effects of gender, age, background and academic position, respectively, on the relation between SH and outcomes were studied.</p><p>RESULTS: Workplace SH was associated with poor mental health (PMH) (OR 1.5 (95% CI 1.1-2.0)) and low vitality (LV) (OR 1.8 (95% CI 1.3-2.5)) among women and with LV (OR 2.0 (95% CI 1.1-3.9)) among men, after adjusting for confounders. Among women, experiences of non-soliciting and soliciting SH combined were associated with PMH and LV. Among men, experiences of non-soliciting SH behaviours exclusively were associated with LV. Indications of synergistic interaction affecting the association between SH and LV were found related to age, background and academic position, but not gender.</p><p>CONCLUSIONS: Workplace SH is a significant risk factor for poor mental well-being, primarily among female, but also among male university employees. These findings can inform local policies for prevention of SH.</p>}},
author = {{Pilgaard, Frida and Östergren, Per-Olof and Priebe, Gisela and Agardh, Anette}},
issn = {{1654-9716}},
keywords = {{Humans; Female; Sweden; Male; Adult; Universities; Sexual Harassment/psychology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Workplace/psychology; Mental Health; Middle Aged; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult; Sex Factors}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
publisher = {{Taylor & Francis}},
series = {{Global Health Action}},
title = {{Workplace sexual harassment is associated with poor mental well-being among employees at a large Swedish university}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2025.2465050}},
doi = {{10.1080/16549716.2025.2465050}},
volume = {{18}},
year = {{2025}},
}