Workplace Violence Is Home Now for Healthcare Workers: Spillover Theory Perspective

Rehman, Wali ur ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2138-2787, Bilal, Atif and Allen, Matthew ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6463-9039 (2025) Workplace Violence Is Home Now for Healthcare Workers: Spillover Theory Perspective. Stress and Health, 41 (1). e70008. ISSN 1532-3005

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Abstract

In recent years, workplace violence has become an escalating concern, particularly within the healthcare sector. Healthcare workers, who dedicate their lives to caring for others, are increasingly facing violence within their workplaces as evidenced by existing studies. However, literature overlooks complex associations between workplace violence, workplace stress, and domestic violence and stress. This article explores the phenomenon of workplace violence among healthcare workers through the lens of Spillover Theory and investigates impact of workplace violence on domestic stress with single and sequential mediation of workplace stress and domestic violence. Our findings of MEDTHREE analysis of time‐lagged data indicate that individuals who experience workplace violence are more likely to exhibit stress, which ultimately becomes a cause of domestic violence. The study highlights how spillover theory can help to explain how workplace violence can trigger violence and stress in the home environment. The research highlights the need for a support system and targeted interventions to address the issue of workplace violence to mitigate its spillover effects into domestic violence. With the help of the findings, the organisational decision makers can develop comprehensive strategies to mitigate the harmful consequences of the workplace violence to provide safe and healthy environment at work and home settings.