Bullying and Sexual Discrimination in the Greek Health Care System. 2017

Pavlina Chrysafi, and Effie Simou, and Marinos Makris, and George Malietzis, and Gregory C Makris
Department of Medicine, Medical School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.

BACKGROUND Modern medicine is based on teamwork and communication. Bullying and discrimination can have a serious effect on these, affecting the standard of medical training and patient care. OBJECTIVE To determine the incidence of bullying and sex discrimination in the Greek health care system. METHODS An online questionnaire was designed and circulated among Greek medical professionals. RESULTS We received 1349 completed questionnaires with a response rate of 48% and with 45% of them being female. Equal opportunities in specialty training were reported by 55% of the participants. Female doctors in medicine and in surgery reported no equal opportunities at an incidence of 15% and 30%, respectively (p < 0.001). Family obligations and lack of family support were considered as the main obstacles in female doctors' professional development by 92% and 59% of the participants, respectively. Both sexes appeared to have suffered from various forms of abusive behavior with characteristics that vary between them. Verbal abuse, threatening behavior, and sexual harassment were reported by 50%, 38%, and 20%, respectively, with women being 3 times more likely to be victims of sexual harassment (34% vs. 9%, p < 0.001). Finally, the availability of official support mechanisms was reported in only 15% of the cases, whereas friends and colleagues were the main support for 46.17% of the cases. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study attempting to preliminary describe the extent of bullying and sexual discrimination in the Greek national health care system. Despite the limitations of this study, it is imperative that more research is performed on this issue from the appropriate national authorities.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007396 Internship and Residency Programs of EDUCATION, MEDICAL, GRADUATE training to meet the requirements established by accrediting authorities. House Staff,Internship, Dental,Residency, Dental,Residency, Medical,Dental Internship,Dental Internships,Dental Residencies,Dental Residency,Internship,Internship, Medical,Internships, Dental,Medical Residencies,Medical Residency,Residencies, Dental,Residencies, Medical,Residency,Residency and Internship,Internships, Medical,Medical Internship,Medical Internships,Residencies,Staff, House
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D010820 Physicians Individuals licensed to practice medicine. Physician
D011795 Surveys and Questionnaires Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions. Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D005260 Female Females
D006115 Greece A country in southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey. The capital is Athens. Crete,Macedonia (Greece)
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D058445 Bullying Aggressive behavior by a more powerful party that results in physical harm to or emotional distress of the victim.

Related Publications

Pavlina Chrysafi, and Effie Simou, and Marinos Makris, and George Malietzis, and Gregory C Makris
January 2022, The Journal of genetic psychology,
Pavlina Chrysafi, and Effie Simou, and Marinos Makris, and George Malietzis, and Gregory C Makris
January 2004, World hospitals and health services : the official journal of the International Hospital Federation,
Pavlina Chrysafi, and Effie Simou, and Marinos Makris, and George Malietzis, and Gregory C Makris
December 2015, ANZ journal of surgery,
Pavlina Chrysafi, and Effie Simou, and Marinos Makris, and George Malietzis, and Gregory C Makris
August 2015, The Medical journal of Australia,
Pavlina Chrysafi, and Effie Simou, and Marinos Makris, and George Malietzis, and Gregory C Makris
December 2016, Critical care and resuscitation : journal of the Australasian Academy of Critical Care Medicine,
Pavlina Chrysafi, and Effie Simou, and Marinos Makris, and George Malietzis, and Gregory C Makris
March 2015, Global journal of health science,
Pavlina Chrysafi, and Effie Simou, and Marinos Makris, and George Malietzis, and Gregory C Makris
August 2017, The lancet. Psychiatry,
Pavlina Chrysafi, and Effie Simou, and Marinos Makris, and George Malietzis, and Gregory C Makris
January 2021, Clinical & experimental ophthalmology,
Pavlina Chrysafi, and Effie Simou, and Marinos Makris, and George Malietzis, and Gregory C Makris
January 1993, Clearinghouse review,
Pavlina Chrysafi, and Effie Simou, and Marinos Makris, and George Malietzis, and Gregory C Makris
January 2023, Australian critical care : official journal of the Confederation of Australian Critical Care Nurses,
Copied contents to your clipboard!