PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS IN HEALTHCARE WORKERS: THE HIDDEN IMPACT OF CYBERBULLYING

Abstract

Healthcare professionals increasingly face cyberbullying, a modern form of occupational harassment that remains underexplored, particularly in Pakistan, where digital communication in clinical settings has expanded rapidly. Despite extensive research on traditional workplace stressors, the specific contribution of online harassment to psychological distress among healthcare workers is poorly understood, representing a critical gap in occupational health literature. Addressing this issue is essential, as psychological distress can compromise decision-making, emotional regulation, and patient safety. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, severity, and impact of cyberbullying on psychological well-being among healthcare professionals and to identify demographic and occupational factors moderating this relationship. A descriptive-correlational design was employed, surveying 400 healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, and allied health staff, across public and private hospitals in major urban centers of Pakistan. Data were collected using the Cyberbullying Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), with descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson/Spearman correlations, and multiple regression analyses performed using SPSS v28. Results indicated moderate cyberbullying exposure (mean frequency = 3.0 ± 1.4; severity = 3.0 ± 1.4), with females and doctors reporting higher rates of high-severity incidents. Cyberbullying frequency and severity were strongly positively correlated with psychological distress (r = 0.61–0.64, p < 0.001), and regression analysis revealed that these variables accounted for 55% of the variance in distress scores (R² = 0.55, p < 0.001). These findings highlight cyberbullying as a significant occupational hazard contributing to mental health challenges among healthcare workers, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions, policy development, and organizational strategies to mitigate digital harassment.