Table 2 The prevalence, typology, and form of WPV against primary healthcare workers

1.

Abed et al. (2016)

II and III

12 months

63%

–

Patients: 64%

Co-workers: 21%

Verbal abuse: 60%

Bullying: 19%

Sexual harassment: 7%

Physical violence: 3%

Racial harassment: 3%

2.

Demeur et al. (2018)

II

12 months

Monthly

79.8%

11.3%

–

Known patients: 55.1%

Psychiatric patients: 32.1%

Patients under the influence of alcohol/drugs: 11.7%

Verbal aggression: 89.8%

Psychological aggression: 21.1%

Physical aggression: 20.6%

Sexual aggression: 7.7%

3.

Elston and Gabe (2016)

II

Lifetime

78%

–

Main perpetrators: Clients of Primary Healthcare service

Male:

Physical violence: 13%

Threats: 13%

Verbal violence: 74%

Female:

Physical violence: 7%

Threats: 18%

Verbal violence: 8%

4.

Gan et al. (2018)

II and III

12 months

62.2%

–

–

Physical violence: 18.9%

Non-physical violence: 61.4%

Verbal abuse: 54.4%

Threats: 33.8%

Sexual harassment: 22.7%

Physical assault: 18.9%

Sexual assault: 7.6%

5.

Joa and Morken (2012)

II

12 months

–

–

Main perpetrators: Patients under the influence of drugs/alcohol or with severe mental illness

Verbal abuse: 78%

Threats: 44%

Physical abuse: 13%

Sexual harassment: 9%

6.

Ko and Dorri (2019)

III

Lifetime

–

–

Main perpetrators: Colleagues and administrators

Inter-profession bias, harassment, and discrimination

7.

Pina et al. (2022)

II

–

–

–

Main perpetrators: Aggressive and demanding patients

–

8.

Pina et al. (2022)

II

–

–

–

Main perpetrators: Aggressive and demanding patients

–

9.

Sturbelle et al. (2019)

II and III

12 months

69.8%

Clinic Health Assistance: 33%

Technician: 21%

Nurse: 14%

Doctor: 6%

Users: 71.6%

Family/companions: 6.4%

Colleagues: 11%

Leaders: 9.2%

–

10.

Vorderwülbecke et al. (2015)

II

Lifetime

12 months

91%

73%

–

Patients: 76%

Patients’ relatives: 17%

Patients under the influence of alcohol/drugs or with mental illness: 63%

Verbal abuse: 79%

Intimidation: 38%

Physical violence: 16%

Sexual abuse: 17%

Verbal abuse: 54%

Intimidation: 21%

Physical violence: 7%

Sexual abuse: 10%

11.

Rajakrishnan et al. (2022)

II

12 months

68.5%

Nurse: 44.8%

Doctor: 15.1%

Officer: 7.3%

Technical: 5.9%

Support staff: 5.2%

Other: < 5.0%

Main perpetrators: Patients/visitors, followed by colleagues, superiors/management, the public, and others

Verbal abuse: 65%

Bullying: 27%

Physical violence: 6%

Sexual harassment: 2%

12.

Al-Turki et al. (2016)

II and III

12 months

45.6%

Clerk: 68.4%

Pharmacist: 61.9%

Doctor: 44.4%

Technician: 40.0%

Nurse: 36.0%

Patients: 71.5%

Others (companions or co-workers): 28.5%

Physical violence: 6.5%

Non-physical violence: 99.2%, including verbal violence (94.3%) and intimidation (22.0%)

13.

Alsmael et al. (2020)

II

12 months

46.9%

–

Patients: 74%

Others (companions or co-workers): 26%

Verbal violence: 90%

Intimidation: 34.3%

Physical violence: 3%

14.

Irwin et al. (2013)

II

Daily

Weekly

Monthly

–

Main perpetrators: Patients and family members

Verbal aggression: n = 26

Physical aggression: n = 18

Incidents beginning with verbal aggression and ending with physical aggression: n = 7

Physical aggression directed at an inanimate object: n = 16

15.

Jatic et al. (2019)

II

12 months

90.3%

–

Main perpetrators: Patients and family members

Verbal violence: 89.2%

Indirect physical violence: 74.7%

16.

Miedema et al. (2012)

II

Lifetime

–

–

–

–

17.

Toro et al. (2015)

II

12 months

–

Family doctor: 48.48%

Nurse: 17.63%

Auxiliary nurse: 1.29%

Assistant: 24.37%

Support staff: 1.72%

Midwife: 0.43%

Physiotherapist: 0.17%

Social worker: 0.17%

Unknown: 0.77%

Patients: 67.8%

Unknown: 3%

Companions: 28.1%

Physical violence: 4.7%

Threats: 52.8%

Coercion: 25.7%

Insults: 75.2%

Material damage: 31.2%

18.

Cecilia et al. (2017)

II and III

12 months

–

–

Patients/co-workers

–

19.

Marina et al. (2017)

II

12 months

48%

Physician: 28.5%

Nurse: 63.4%

Other: 8.1%

Clients: 52.1%

Relatives: 14.3%

Co-workers: 21.4%

Management: 10.8%

General public: 0.5%

Verbal violence: 48%

20.

Marina et al. (2017)

II

12 months

2.6%

Physician: 28.6%

Nurse: 62.1%

Other: 9.2%

–

Physical violence: 1.9%

Verbal abuse: 43.5%

Mobbing: 5.7%

Sexual harassment: 0.4%

Racial harassment only: 0.2%

21.

Pina et al. (2022)

III

12 months

–

–

–

–

22.

Feng et al. (2022)

II and III

12 months

14.26%

–

Patients: 50.64%

Patients’ families: 40.38%

Colleagues/supervisors: 0.16%–1.28%

Public: 3.21%

Verbal abuse: 13.44%

Threats: 9.23%

Verbal sexual harassment: 4.68%

Physical assault: 4.59%

Physical sexual assault: 2.29%

23.

Delak and Širok (2018)

III

–

–

–

–

–