The Cognitive Activation Theory of Stress (CATS) has been suggested as a theoretical framework for how exposure to bullying could influence sleep. It should be noted that this latter meta-analysis focused on outcomes of bullying in general and did therefore not include a systematic review of the literature on bullying and sleep. Going against expectations about an association between bullying and sleep problems, a non-significant Pearson correlation of. Still, existing evidence is limited, and in a meta-analysis published in 2012, only four studies, encompassing 14,584 respondents, were included. In a study among victims of bullying, findings revealed a high prevalence of sleep problems, specifically difficulties falling asleep, interrupted sleep, fatigue during the day, and early morning awakening. For instance, in a mixed method study on workplace bullying among university employees, insomnia was reported by practically all cases interviewed. Bullying has also been highlighted as a potential cause of sleep problems. Workplace bullying, defined as a situation wherein an employee persistently and systematically is exposed to harassment and mistreatment at work and wherein this employee finds it difficult to defend him- or herself against this prolonged and unwanted treatment, has been established as a precursor to a range of health complaints including depression and anxiety, somatic problems, and even symptoms of posttraumatic stress. Consequently, there is a shortage of knowledge about how and when social problems, such as exposure to workplace bullying, influence sleep. Although negative social interactions at the workplace, such as bullying, may be especially distressing for those exposed, previous research on psychosocial work environment factors and sleep has mainly been limited to examining the impact of job demands and control. To this date, we know that physical and psychosocial working conditions are associated with a range of negative outcomes, including sleep problems. To reduce these costs, knowledge about the antecedents and risk factors for sleep problems is therefore of major significance. A 2011 US study estimated the socioeconomic costs of troubled sleep to be in the area of 63 and 91 billion dollars per year. Quality of sleep is highly important with regard to everyday functioning, mental and physical health, and for job performance.
The protocol has been registered at the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42018082192).
By gathering and summarizing information about potential factors that can explain when and how bullying is related to sleep, the findings from this study will provide directions for future research and provide practitioners and clinicians with an understanding about the nature and consequences of workplace bullying and point to directions for relevant interventions. This review and meta-analysis will be among the first to systematically explore and integrate the evidence available on the association between exposure to bullying and sleep, as well as on the mediating and moderating factors that can govern this associations. A random effects meta-analysis will be conducted with the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software, version 3. The quality of evidence for an association between bullying and sleep problems will evaluated in accordance with the GRADE system. The methodological quality of the included studies will be assessed with a previously established checklist for studies on workplace bullying. Qualitative interviews and case studies will be excluded. Primary observational studies with cross-sectional or prospective research design, case-control studies, and studies with experimental designs will be included. Eligible studies should report empirical findings on the association between exposure to workplace bullying and at least one indicator of sleep. Electronic databases will be searched using predefined search terms to identify relevant studies. MethodsĪ systematic review and meta-analysis will be conducted. The aims of this planned systematic review and meta-analysis are therefore (1) to determine whether exposure to workplace bullying is related to changes in sleep function and (2) to establish mediating and moderating factors that govern the relationship between bullying and sleep. Existing evidence on the association between exposure to bullying and sleep is limited and inconclusive.