Mobbing: looking for psychopathological identity of phenomenon Review article

Abstract

Mobbing and bullying are both forms of the covert aggression at work, committed, inspired or accepted in the most severe forms by managers. Mobbing and bullying express themselves by accusing, humiliation, undermining the competence and other manipulations. Mobbing is illegal in Poland since 2004. However, victims are attacked under a veil of justifications so that crimes are difficult to prove. Mobbing and bullying hide aggressors’ own personality problems and incompetence. Victims selected for attacks are often intelligent, innovative high achievers, with good internal integrity and principles. Mobbing activities seem to be trivial and benign, but in fact are destructive and cumulative over a long period of time. Unconscious victims paradoxically feel guilty and try to repair their ‘mistakes’. They do not understand why they are being eliminated. Despite the fact that mobbing is a covert activity, it progresses through typical psychosocial phases. The psychiatric results for the victims may be catastrophic. Mental health is strongly connected with good interpersonal job relationships. The social support one receives at work helps to build up self-esteem. Because of mobbing, the workplace is subjected to financial losses, waste of key workers and public reputation. Psychiatrists’ awareness, education, and readiness for counseling and treatment of victims are far from satisfactory. Psychiatrists could play the most important role in supporting mobbing patients and be a ‘whistleblower’ exposing the pathology at work.