Bullying at the workplace has been shown to negatively impact employees’ mental health. Advancements in communication technology have opened the floodgates for workplace bullying to proliferate and...Show moreBullying at the workplace has been shown to negatively impact employees’ mental health. Advancements in communication technology have opened the floodgates for workplace bullying to proliferate and continue online, which is referred to as cyberbullying. A consolidation of knowledge and research findings would aid in better understanding the impact of workplace cyberbullying on mental health. Thusly, a systematic review and meta-analysis were performed on cross-sectional data retrieved from PubMed and Web of Science in January 2023. Pooled analyses showed that both traditional workplace bullying (r = .405, 95% CI = .375 - .435, k = 148, n = 206974) and workplace cyberbullying (r = .266, 95% CI = .215 - .317, k = 10, n = 8870) are associated with mental health declines. Yet, the effect of traditional bullying was somewhat stronger (p = .013). Although significant associations were found, the effects appear to be weak to moderate. The small difference between traditional and cyber workplace bullying might be better explained by the general effects of online interactions displacing traditional face-to-face communication thereby possibly differentiating from the working mechanism of traditional bullying. A major limitation is the use of self-report questionnaires for bullying and mental health outcomes, resulting in possible reporting bias. Future research might benefit from using one universal and standardized questionnaire to assess workplace bullying experience. These findings emphasize the need for corporations to focus on the prevention of workplace bullying to safeguard employees’ mental wellbeing and promote a healthier and more productive work environment.Show less
Background: Stress, isolation and unemployment caused by the worldwide COVID-19 lockdowns and quarantines are believed to greatly impact mental health and substance use habits. Our aim was to...Show moreBackground: Stress, isolation and unemployment caused by the worldwide COVID-19 lockdowns and quarantines are believed to greatly impact mental health and substance use habits. Our aim was to investigate the relation of COVID-19 with cannabis, cocaine, amphetamine, fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine use. Method: Systematic review and meta-analyses. Databases were searched until April 2nd 2021 Results: For cannabis use, two analyses were performed based on the type of data. An increase in the number of cannabis users was found during COVID-19 (k = 8, N = 4814, Z = 2.12, p = 0.034). No difference was found in the amount of cannabis used at the two different time points (k = 5, N = 1165, p = 0.110). There were no significant changes found in hard drug use during the COVID-19 pandemic relative to before its restrictions; cocaine (k = 10, N = 1193293, p = 0.121), amphetamine (k = 3, N = 387973, p = 0.982), fentanyl (k = 3, N = 1189864, p = 0.065), heroin (k = 4, N = 1138243, p = 0.438) and methamphetamine (k = 5, N = 387973, p = 0.134). Conclusion: There is evidence that COVID-19 is associated with a small increase in the number of cannabis users. We found no evidence for an increase in the amount of cannabis used or the number of hard drug users before and during COVID-19. Consequently, in the clinical field of psychology, it might be better to invest more (of the limited) resources in alleviating mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, feelings of isolation and stress as opposed to problems with substance (ab)use, which showed to be less reactive than initially imagined.Show less
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been associated with adverse psychological symptoms. Psychotropic prescription drugs are a critical tool in treating and controlling a variety of...Show moreThe coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been associated with adverse psychological symptoms. Psychotropic prescription drugs are a critical tool in treating and controlling a variety of psychopathological conditions, which raises concern in terms of potential overuse and irrational use. Available data regarding the use and prescribing practices of psychotropic prescription drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic are inconsistent. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted with the aim of investigating the change in psychotropic prescription drug use and dispensing in relation to COVID-19. Pub-med and Web of Science Databases were systematically searched, and a total of 30 studies were included (23 prevalence estimates, and 19 correlation coefficient estimates; total N = 5,133,032). The yielded findings demonstrated a statistically significant increase of 16.34% (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 9.11 to 23.57) in prevalence estimates of psychotropic prescription drug use. Furthermore, the conducted meta-analysis yielded a small positive statistically significant correlation r = 0.11 (95% CI: 0.05 to 0.16), implying a small increase in psychotropic prescription drug use and dispensing pre relative to post COVID-19. The association between COVID-19 and adverse mental health, as well as the increased use of psychotropic medications, may lead to an upsurge in substance use related disorders and overdose-related deaths. This is important to know, given that many substance use treatment programs during the pandemic have been disrupted. It may be essential for policy makers and health officials to address mental and behavioral health through telemedicine.Show less
