A new study reveals that sleep problems derived from harassment can «spread» in relationships, altering the quality of life of both members of the couple. This highlights how workplace harassment is not an isolated issue, but a phenomenon with repercussions in personal and family life.
Research from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in the United Kingdom, the Complutense University of Madrid, and the University of Seville in Spain sheds light on the short-term consequences of workplace harassment on various sleep indicators. These include waking up too early (sleep severity), interference with daily life (sleep impact), and dissatisfaction with one’s own sleep (sleep satisfaction).
In an article published in the ‘Journal of Interpersonal Violence’, researchers aimed to examine how workplace harassment affects insomnia and test the mediating role of «anger rumination,» which involves thinking repetitively and persistently about stressful events like harassment.
They found that the relationship between harassment and sleep worsens over time, particularly in terms of difficulties falling asleep, staying asleep, and waking up early in the morning, and is explained by the work-related anger felt by the employee and this constant rumination.
They also found evidence that insomnia symptoms are «contagious» among employees and their partners, meaning that one person’s sleep problems (both severity and impact) can influence the other, highlighting how interconnected sleep health can be in relationships.
The lead author from the UK, Professor Ana Sanz-Vergel of the UEA’s Norwich Business School, comments: «Our results show that the effects of workplace harassment depend on time and are cumulative, extending beyond the individual and the work environment, also affecting the sleep of the partner.
«When people experience harassment at work, they may resort to rumination as a way to mentally process and cope with negative events. However, this repetitive thinking about stressful events can lead to the development of sleep problems, such as difficulties falling asleep, staying asleep, or impacting satisfaction and sleep quality.
«Therefore, rumination can be seen as a maladaptive coping strategy to deal with workplace harassment, meaning that while this type of reflection may initially seem like a way to solve problems or understand the situation, it can actually lead to more long-term harm.»
Currently, knowledge about the short-term impact of harassment processes on sleep and the association between workplace harassment and sleep is limited. This is particularly important considering that sleep problems are often immediate or short-term responses to stressful situations. There is also limited information on the effects of harassment beyond the individual who experiences it.
To address this issue, the team conducted two studies. The first tracked 147 employees for five days, and the second tracked 139 couples over a two-month period. In both studies, all Spanish participants had to report their exposure to workplace harassment, anger-related rumination at work, and various insomnia indicators.
The first study showed that harassment indirectly affects sleep severity through rumination, and in the second study, also sleep satisfaction and sleep impact, indicating that rumination is a key factor in how harassment affects various aspects of sleep quality.
«It is very interesting that insomnia is contagious,» says Professor Sanz Vergel. «It seems that partners influence the intensity and impact of sleep on each other, which is not surprising, as one’s awakening can cause the other to wake up as well.»
«If this is the case, both may feel that lack of sleep interferes with their daily life. Sleep satisfaction, on the other hand, is less susceptible to this contagion, possibly because it involves more subjective elements.»
The authors recommend that interventions regarding workplace harassment be designed at both organizational and individual levels. From an organizational standpoint, reducing stress factors and promoting a healthy organizational culture are crucial. At an individual level, interventions should focus on developing skills to help individuals deal more effectively with stressors.
Professor Sanz Vergel adds: «Training on how to disconnect from work has proven effective and has been shown to minimize the effects of harassment. Additionally, prevention programs focused on couples in the workplace are needed, which could help provide coping strategies to both members of the couple, thereby reducing levels of rumination and insomnia.»
