Preventing workplace mistreatment and improving workers’ mental health: a scoping review of the impact of psychosocial safety climate | BMC Psychology

This review found that PSC has a negative association with workplace mistreatment such as bullying, harassment, violence, discrimination and abuse. Furthermore, we found that PSC has a positive association with psychological well-being, personal resilience and hope. Moreover, PSC has a negative association with psychological distress, stress, depression, cognitive weariness and emotional exhaustion. The buffering effect of PSC is well-established in the literature.

Influence of PSC on workplace mistreatment

PSC has a negative association with workplace mistreatment. A high PSC work environment indicates that managers and supervisors are perceived as supportive, approachable and caring towards their workers. In such a work context, workers are more likely to feel protected, valued and respected [5]. Furthermore, such work context acts as a deterrent to workplace mistreatment including bullying and harassment because workers are more assertive at work [18]. Furthermore, when workers perceive their supervisors as supportive, they are likely to develop trust and respect among workers and towards their supervisors. This trust and respect may lead to positive interpersonal relationships between supervisors and workers, fostering a sense of fairness, partnership, and open communication [10, 11]. In such a work context, discrimination and mistreatment are less likely to occur, since they contradict the principles of trust and respect. In a high PSC context, managers and supervisors are expected to exhibit positive behaviours to serve as role models for their colleagues and subordinates. When managers and supervisors exhibit respectful and inclusive behaviours, it serves as precedents for acceptable conduct at the workplace, reducing the occurrence of mistreatment [8, 10]. In a high PSC work context, bottom-up communication is encouraged and supervisors are more likely to intervene and address workplace mistreatment, provide training on respectful behaviours and establish mechanisms for reporting incidents [5]. These communication and conflict resolution mechanisms do not only deter mistreatment but also provide a sense of security for workers.

Influence of PSC on mental health

PSC has a positive association with psychological well-being. In a high PSC context, workers are trained and encouraged to utilise essential resources capable of helping workers to cope effectively with the psychological and emotional demands of work. Furthermore, high PSC implies that supervisors provide emotional support, understanding and validation of their workers which helps buffer against stressors at the workplace [5]. Besides, the presence of supportive supervisors or management contributes to workers’ mental well-being by reducing feelings of isolation, enhancing self-esteem, and promoting a sense of belongingness [7]. Moreover, in a high PSC context, supervisors are more likely to be responsive to workers’ needs and concerns, providing workers with essential resources and guidance that alleviate psychological distress [33, 34]. Thus, high PSC contexts encourage and empower workers by promoting assertiveness, resilience, and hope [39]. In such an environment, workers may feel more confident in expressing their needs, standing up for themselves, and seeking solutions to challenges. Consequently, this may lead to increased assertiveness, better coping mechanisms, and a more positive outlook on work-related issues [39].

The finding that the negative association between PSC and depressive symptoms is stronger for females than males highlight the potential of gender differences in the impact of PSC on mental health outcomes. This finding could be influenced by several variables including differences in socialisation, communication styles, and the importance of supportive relationships for women [36]. However, further research is needed to explore these gender-specific dynamics in more detail.

The buffering effects of PSC

In a high PSC environment, job resources including job control and supportive leadership, are perceived as more beneficial and impactful [5]. Thus, PSC acts as an amplifier, enhancing the positive effects of these resources on workers’ mental well-being [43]. When workers perceive a supportive work environment, they are more likely to utilise job resources that are more effective in reducing psychological distress, increasing mindfulness, fostering personal hope, and mitigating the negative impact of job demands on depression and emotional exhaustion [7]. A high PSC context would create a sense of psychological safety, where workers feel comfortable expressing their concerns, reporting mistreatment, and seeking essential support [5]. This situation creates an environment where bullying, harassment, and other forms of workplace mistreatment are less tolerated, and thus, less occur [4]. The perception of high PSC buffers the adverse effect of workplace mistreatment on psychological well-being, post-traumatic disorder, stress, cognitive weariness and other psychological health problems to improve productivity and organisational image [4].

PSC in specific workplaces

The workplace-specific findings underscore the intricate interplay between PSC and various professional domains, shedding light on the nuanced dynamics within diverse work settings [12, 35]. In the education sector, the observed reduction in psychological distress and emotional exhaustion among education workers in the presence of a positive PSC speaks to the profound impact of a supportive climate on educators’ well-being [4]. This suggests that cultivating an environment where educators feel psychologically safe translates into not only improved mental health but also potentially enhanced teaching effectiveness. Similarly, the buffering effect of PSC among police officers in Malaysia, mitigating the impact of job resources on psychological distress, implies that the nature of law enforcement work may be less psychologically taxing when embedded in a supportive organisational climate [7]. This finding holds implications for law enforcement agencies globally, urging a closer examination of the organisational factors influencing officers’ mental well-being.

In healthcare settings across different countries, the consistent positive outcomes, including decreased emotional exhaustion and stress, emphasise the universal importance of PSC in fostering a supportive environment for healthcare professionals [22, 30, 35]. The demanding and often emotionally charged nature of healthcare work makes the role of PSC in enhancing mental well-being particularly crucial. In the context of the general working population, the findings of reduced harassment, violence, and bullying in Australia underscore the broader societal impact of promoting a psychosocially safe work environment [10]. These results imply that organisational climates that prioritise employee well-being contribute not only to individual flourishing but also to creating healthier workplace cultures that extend beyond specific professions.

The enhanced mental well-being observed among construction workers in China suggests that the positive effects of PSC are not confined to traditional office settings [20]. In physically demanding and high-risk occupations, cultivating a supportive climate may play a pivotal role in mitigating the adverse psychological impacts of the job. Furthermore, the positive outcomes observed among attorneys in the USA and oil and gas workers in Malaysia highlight the relevance of PSC in diverse and high-pressure work environments [27, 28]. The findings imply that irrespective of the industry or professional demands, a psychosocially safe climate can act as a buffer against psychological distress.

Practical implications for managers and organisations

Organisations and managers need to cultivate a supportive leadership style that emphasise open and bottom-up communication, approachability, and empathy towards workers [44]. Building positive relationships with workers and demonstrating genuine care is enhance PSC which contributes to creating a healthy and decent work environment where the psychological well-being of workers is prioritised. Furthermore, organisations should establish clear policies and procedures that explicitly address workplace mistreatment such as violence, bullying, harassment, discrimination, and abuse. These policies should be effectively communicated to all workers, reinforced and encouraged through training programmess. Organisations emphasising a zero-tolerance approach to workplace violence and harassment, have the potential of promoting a culture of respect and fairness, thereby promoting the health and well-being of their workers [45].

Managers and supervisors ought to undergo training on the significance of PSC and its relation to preventing mistreatment at the workplace. This training should concentrate on augmenting supportive leadership skills, promoting positive communication, conflict resolution, and creating an awareness of the impact of mistreatment on both individual and the organisation [46]. It is of utmost importance to institute confidential mechanisms for workers to report incidents of mistreatment without any apprehension of retaliation. Encouraging reporting can help identify and address mistreatment cases expediently. Managers should communicate the existence of reporting channels and ensure that workers feel secure and supported when reporting their concerns and seeking support and resources.

Managers possess a vital function in establishing a culture that highly regards respect, diversity, and inclusion. Through the cultivation of an inclusive work environment, wherein individuals are treated with dignity and fairness, managers can contribute to creating a high PSC context that minimizes the occurrences of mistreatment [46]. Managers should consistently evaluate and attend to work-related stressors that may lead to psychological distress, cognitive fatigue, emotional exhaustion, and depression. This can encompass the management of workload, provision of resources and support, and promotion of work-life balance. Organisations ought to allocate resources to workers’ well-being initiatives, such as mental health programmess, wellness activities, and workshops that develop resilience [46, 47]. Such initiatives may further reinforce psychological well-being, personal resilience, and hope among workers.

Limitations and recommendations for future research

Most of the studies included this study were cross-sectional surveys which are usually affected by response bias, which may also affect the findings of this review. Using only papers published in the English language may affect the volume and depth of evidence retrieved for this review. There is limited evidence from continents such as Africa and South America that may skew the findings. However, authors used robust protocols to retrieve essential papers from 13 countries, screen papers, extract data and thematic analysis which may help in generalisation findings and make recommendations for future research and practice. Authors did not appraise the studies included in this scoping review. This poses a limitation as it may impact the overall quality and reliability of the included studies. Hence, caution should be taken when interpretating the findings and conclusion drawn from this review. Further research is needed to explore gender-specific dynamics in the influence of PSC on workplace mistreatment and mental health. A future systematic review is needed to estimate the practical effect of PSC on psychological well-being and workplace mistreatment.