Effect of Workplace Bullying on Employee Mental Health in Nigeria A Hospitality Industry Perspective

Bullying remains a pervasive issue in workplaces, often inadequately addressed despite its damaging effects on employees' mental health. Victims frequently suffer stress, anxiety, depression, and helplessness, which can escalate into severe psychological disorders. This study, therefore, examined the effect of workplace bullying on employee mental health in selected hospitality firms in Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to analyze the effect of aggressive communication on emotional expression, assess the impact of blame shifting on interpersonal relationships, and identify the effect of undermining actions on work engagement. The study was anchored on the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping and adopted an experimental research design. From a population of 599, a sample size of 234 respondents was determined using Krejcie and Morgan's formula. Data were gathered using structured questionnaires and analyzed with frequency tables, percentages, and arithmetic means. Hypotheses were tested using Simple Regression with SPSS version 25 , at a 5 significance level. Results revealed that aggressive communication has a statistical a significant effect on emotional expression R² = .904 , blame shifting on interpersonal relationships R² = .900 , and undermining actions on work engagement R² = .914 . The study concluded that workplace bullying in its various forms negatively affects employee well being and organizational harmony. It emphasized the need for hospitality firms to adopt proactive strategies to mitigate bullying. The study recommended the establishment of clear anti bullying policies, strict enforcement of behavioural standards, and provision of confidential counselling services for affected employees. Okigbo Ferdinand Chukwunwike | Asogwa Sheila Ogochukwu | Kekeocha Mary Ezinne "Effect of Workplace Bullying on Employee Mental Health in Nigeria: A Hospitality Industry Perspective" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-9 | Issue-6 , December 2025, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd99844.pdf Paper URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/management/business-administration/99844/effect-of-workplace-bullying-on-employee-mental-health-in-nigeria-a-hospitality-industry-perspective/okigbo-ferdinand-chukwunwike