Workplace bullying and well-being in crisis-affected healthcare organizations: status vulnerability evidence from Lebanon

Purpose This study aims to examine workplace bullying and psychosocial well-being among healthcare professionals working in crisis-affected organizations. It contributes to behavioral health scholarship by theorizing bullying as a chronic organizational stressor that is amplified under conditions of institutional fragility and unequal protection. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on survey data from 411 healthcare professionals in Lebanon, a country marked by political instability, economic collapse and overlapping crises, the study analyzes workplace bullying exposure across gender and status-based demographic categories using the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised. Findings The results show no significant gender effects, but higher bullying exposure among younger employees, widowed participants, residents and those with university degrees. Gossip and rumors and excessive workload were the most prevalent bullying behaviors, while physical intimidation was rare. Practical implications The findings highlight the need for targeted organizational interventions to identify and protect vulnerable occupational groups such as residents within crisis-affected healthcare systems. Strengthening anti-bullying policies, supervisory accountability and confidential reporting mechanisms can help mitigate psychosocial harm and support employee well-being under conditions of institutional strain. Originality/value This study advances workplace bullying scholarship by extending bullying frameworks into fragile and crisis-affected contexts and by introducing an intersectional status vulnerability model that foregrounds social stigma (e.g. widowhood) and professional dependency (e.g. residents’ reliance on supervisors). It further shows that symbolic and structural forms of domination (e.g. overload, monitoring and reputational harm) predominate over physical intimidation in crisis-affected healthcare settings.