The Unseen Burden in Midwifery: Associations Between Workplace Violence, PTSD Symptoms, and Professional Quality of Life.

چکیده اصلی

AIM: This study aimed to examine the associations between exposure to physical and verbal workplace violence and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms as well as professional quality of life among midwives. DESIGN: Descriptive and correlational study. METHODS: A descriptive and correlational study was conducted with 341 midwives working in public healthcare institutions in Turkey between February and June 2024. Data were collected online using the Personal Information Form, the PTSD Brief Scale, and the Professional Quality of Life Scale. Independent samples t-tests and linear regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: Among the participants, 22.9% reported exposure to physical violence and 85.0% to verbal violence in the workplace. Exposure to verbal violence was significantly associated with higher PTSD symptom levels (p = 0.004), whereas physical violence was not (p = 0.082). Both physical (p = 0.046) and verbal violence (p = 0.049) were significantly associated with higher compassion satisfaction. Regression analysis showed that verbal violence explained 2.1% of the variance in PTSD symptoms (Adjusted R2 = 0.021), while physical and verbal violence together explained 1.9% of the variance in compassion satisfaction (Adjusted R2 = 0.019). CONCLUSION: Workplace violence against midwives is highly prevalent and is associated with variations in psychological well-being and professional quality of life. Due to the cross-sectional correlational design, causal relationships cannot be established. Nevertheless, these findings highlight the importance of institutional strategies, respectful workplace policies, and supportive interventions to address workplace violence and promote midwives' mental health and professional well-being.

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