If There Is Mobbing at Work, Pray
Mykolas Deikus, Junior Researcher, Faculty of Catholic Theology, Vytautas Magnus University
Nobody advised to pray? Needlessly. When co-workers turn into monsters, praying is very healthy. And there is no medieval darkness here – that is what science says.
An enlightened reader is probably already twirling his finger near the temple. And he is absolutely right. Faith is very beneficial for mental health. That is why religious victims of mobbing seek help not only from psychiatrists but also in their religious communities. Lithuanians are no exception, as a recent study shows.
On faith and the psyche
Strong religious faith has a positive effect on mental health. Such findings were recently published by researchers Isaac Halstead, Jon Heron, Connie Svob, and Carol Joinson from the universities of Bristol and Columbia. They grounded their findings on the results of the population-based observation in Great Britain, which lasted three decades.
The team of researchers looked at how different models of religiosity were related to depression, anxiety, self-harm, and psychological well-being. The results were not particularly surprising, as they largely repeated the findings of previous studies carried out in other countries. Only this time, the findings were based on the results of the mental health observation of 14,000 residents.
It turned out that strongly religious Britons had been least affected by anxiety and depression. That is, those who not only say they believe in God but also go to church regularly. Meanwhile the “moderately” religious persons (those who do not tend to go to church) and agnostics, who believe that the existence of God cannot be confirmed or denied, felt worse.
What makes religiosity so special? According to the British and American scholars who conducted the study, the answer is simple. It is a clear, consistent worldview, a sense of purpose and meaning in life. This is namely what strong faith guarantees. By the way, the non-religious belief too, because even hardened atheists felt better than agnostics and those who were “moderately religious”. The former also have their own belief system.
But how is this related to mobbing?
For help – to the religious community
Before answering the question, it is necessary to remember who the companions of mobbing are. These are anxiety, fear, depression, despair and suicides. Co-workers systematically terrorising the victim over a long period of time achieve something that perhaps prisoner-of-war camp wardens manage to achieve. Research shows that victims of mobbing, working in modern organisations, experience the same symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder as prisoners of war.
What can religion offer to the victims of mobbing, who are going through such trauma? It is certainly not just “patiently carrying the cross”, as a sceptic would say ironically.
American psychiatrist Kenneth Pargament and his colleagues Margaret Feuille and Donna Burdz have scientifically proven that millennia-old religious coping practices are still effective in the 21st century. The realization that difficulties are not God’s punishment, prayer, confession of sins (reconciliation), forgiveness, connection with the community, and other religious practices help cope with a wide range of psychological traumas. Therefore, religious coping techniques are successfully used in providing assistance to religious military veterans, victims of sexual violence who have survived various disasters. Victims of mobbing are no exception.
A study conducted by Alireza Jalali, Mastura Jaafar, and Nur Izzati Hidzir a few years ago showed that religious counselling could help individuals rethink, understand, make sense of, and forgive mobbing experiences. In addition, religious communities can offer a wide network of support, provide emotional and practical support as well as a sense of belonging. The latter is particularly important for victims of mobbing who feel socially isolated.
“God is always on my side”
It must be admitted that religious coping with mobbing is still a little-studied area. More knowledge is needed to help understand what coping methods are used, what encourages or hinders help-seeking, and how religious communities can contribute. In order to find answers to these and other questions, a study supported by the Research Council of Lithuania was conducted.
The interviews with religious victims of mobbing revealed three main coping strategies. The first of these was an independent search for a direct relationship to God, in which an important role was performed by the prayer, reading the Holy Scriptures and visiting holy places. “What helped was that I am a believer, because God is always on my side,” admitted one of the research participants.
The second strategy involved social support in a religious community, where people shared similar values and beliefs. Such community became a source of emotional support, practical help, and peace of mind.
And finally, it is the combination of religious and secular support resources. For example, spiritual companioning, psychological support, or legal advice. Another research participant shared her experience of how this worked in practice.
“What helped me most was spiritual companioning and the prayer. I also attended specialised training and sought legal aid”, she said, adding that she was extremely grateful to some of the colleagues and loved ones who had heard her out.
What is Caesar’s – give to therapists
No matter how angry psychologists and psychotherapists may be, but a chaplain, a spiritual companion or a religious counsellor (including lay people trained in Lithuania) are often the people that believers turn to first. As the results of the study conducted in Lithuania have shown, victims of mobbing look for those with similar values, with whom they feel safe.
Thus, prayers, religious practices, spiritual counselling, or simple emotional support in the community should not be excluded from the list of measures to help victims of mobbing. This does not mean that the church is trying to take the bread out of psychotherapists’ mouth.
As the saying goes, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s”, or more precisely, the prayer is no substitute for medication when it is needed. However, a clergyman or a religious community counsellor trusted by the believer can encourage to turn to the therapist and provide what “Caesar’s” help cannot.
* The survey involved a total of 1231 working-age individuals in Lithuania, the majority of whom (70,1 percent) were Roman Catholics. The study was conducted under the project “The model of religious spiritual support for victims of workplace mobbing: attracting new resources to support a healthy and safe work environment.”
Funding was provided by the Research Council of Lithuania (LMTLT), contract No. S-MIP-23-34.
