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Abstract
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Sexual harassment is a serious public health problem and workplace hazard
The high prevalence and significant adverse effects of workplace sexual harassment have become increasingly clear in the wake of the #MeToo movement. In the linked prospective study, Magnusson Hanson and colleagues convincingly show excess rates of suicide attempts and deaths among people reporting workplace sexual harassment (doi:10.1136/bmj.m2984).1 These results persist after extensive adjustment, including sex, country of birth, family type, education, income, baseline mental health, and working conditions. Importantly, neither the incidence nor the association with suicidality are limited to women.
Although we agree with the authors in exercising caution in interpreting their findings, this large prospective, population based cohort design represents the most rigorous approach to examine this question, and we are unlikely to generate more definitive evidence of a causal relation between workplace sexual harassment and suicide.
The authors' findings are consistent with previous studies of sexual harassment. Although estimates vary, sexual harassment is highly prevalent.2 Other studies have identified serious physical and mental health sequelae of sexual harassment.34 Sexual harassment also leads many to leave their employment, leading to substantial financial stress. This financial stress resulting from sexual harassment is comparable with financial stress from serious injury or illness.5 Based on these findings, experts have deemed workplace sexual harassment an occupational health risk.6 This new study adds weight to this argument. Indeed, the observed hazard ratio for suicide death of 2.82 (95% confidence interval 1.49 to 5.34) is similar to the risk of death from cancer attributable to occupational asbestos exposure.7 In the context of existing evidence, the study underscores the urgent need to consider workplace sexual harassment both an occupational hazard and a substantial public health problem...
Language: en |