中華心理衛生協會

 Purpose: Even in ordinary times, public health workers are susceptible to negative emotions and violence from the public, and working within hierarchical, bureaucratic systems can impose additional psychological stress. A survey conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed that public health workers were at high risk of being the target of workplace violence and having poor mental health. In this study, we explored public health workers' experiences of the origins and forms of workplace violence. Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews between November 2022 and January 2023 with 19 public health workers (17 women and 2 men) who experienced workplace violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Our findings indicated that the complex and demanding epidemic control measures, coupled with rapid policy changes, led to heavy workloads during the pandemic. Public health workers also encountered various types of workplace violence. External workplace violence primarily came from the general public, mainly in the form of verbal abuse, threats, intimidation, and harassment. Common reasons for targeting public health workers included citizens being punished for regulatory violations, having unmet needs, and being dissatisfied with government policies. Internal workplace violence mainly came from supervisors and senior colleagues, mostly in the form of power harassment. Employers failed to take active measures, resulting in persistent violence and tremendous physical and mental health impacts on public health workers. Conclusion: Workplace violence, occurring not just during the pandemic but also in ordinary times, undermines the morale of public health workers and infringes on their health rights. This pressing issue demands urgent attention and action. We provide recommendations for health authorities to address the problem.