The Role of Occupational Coping Self-Efficacy in Determining the Effectiveness of Social Sharing Following Patient Aggression: A Longitudinal Study Among Healthcare Workers

Abstract

Workplace aggression against medical staff is widely recognized as a major threat to employees’ health and well-being, yet evidence regarding the long-term effects of nonphysical aggression, the most common form of aggression perpetrated by patients or visitors, is scarce. The present study aimed to test the longitudinal relationships between nonphysical aggression and employees’ burnout and turnover intention and examine the joint effect of social sharing and occupational coping self-efficacy (OCSE) in these relationships. A sample of 274 healthcare employees completed online self-reported questionnaires at two time points (T1 and T2), a year apart. Data were analyzed using hierarchical regression analyses. Findings indicate that nonphysical aggression and OCSE, both measured at T1, were significant predictors of depersonalization at T2. OCSE moderated the relationship between nonphysical aggression and T2 emotional exhaustion. The results support the existence of a three-way interaction in the prediction of T2 depersonalization, such that nonphysical aggression was more strongly associated with depersonalization when social sharing was high and OCSE was low. The same interaction pattern, although failing to reach significance (0.07), was observed in predicting T2 turnover intention. The study’s findings suggest that nonphysical aggression should not be overlooked since it may have long-term negative effects on employees’ well-being. The results further indicate that individuals’ ability to benefit from social sharing may depend on OCSE levels; for individuals with a lower sense of confidence in their ability to handle work stressors, social sharing may be a counter-effective emotion-regulation strategy, leading to increased feelings of detachment and cynicism toward patients. The results of this study emphasize the need to develop intervention programs aimed at promoting employees’ self-efficacy.