Healing the wounds of workplace bullying: Evaluating mental health and workplace participation among victims seeking treatment for common mental disorders.

The study was not randomised; patients were allocated to treatment or wait-list groups based on administrative waiting times, which introduces potential selection bias. Treatment integrity was not recorded, so it is unclear how consistently the work-focused components were delivered across patients. Workplace participation was measured by a single self-report item, and the study did not control for whether patients changed jobs or intended to change jobs during treatment. The follow-up period was limited to the end of treatment, so long-term effects on return to work are unknown. The analysis involved multiple comparisons, which increases the risk of finding significant results by chance.

Do not assume that reducing a bullying victim's anxiety and depression symptoms will lead to a successful return to work. The study found that while mental health improved as much as in non-victims, bullying victims were significantly less likely to be fully working after treatment, indicating a disconnect between clinical recovery and functional occupational outcomes.