Exploring academic mobbing among graduate nursing students: a mixed-methods study

INTRODUCTION: Mobbing in academic environments significantly affects individuals' professional and psychological well-being. Due to their position in the educational hierarchy, graduate students may be more vulnerable to mobbing. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine academic mobbing experiences among graduate nursing students and to explore the associated challenges and coping processes. METHOD: This study used a mixed-methods design. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation analysis. A total of 209 graduate nursing students participated in the quantitative component of the study. Twenty graduate students were included in the qualitative research. Qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews and analysed using Colaizzi's descriptive phenomenological method. FINDINGS: Quantitative analyses revealed that doctoral students and research assistants had significantly higher total mobbing scores (p < 0.05), while female students reported significantly higher scores only in attacks on self-presentation and communication (p < 0.05). Qualitative findings indicated that communication barriers and professional pressures were prominent facilitators of mobbing. Qualitative analyses revealed that mobbing was primarily perpetrated by supervisors, administrators, and academic staff. In particular, interruptions, professional devaluation, excessive workload, and pressure via digital platforms were commonly reported. These findings highlight the role of academic hierarchy and tenure type in shaping mobbing experiences. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that doctoral students and research assistants reported higher levels of academic mobbing, while female students were more vulnerable specifically to communication-based mobbing behaviors. Quantitative findings were complemented by qualitative data, which provided contextual insights into how participants perceived and reported mobbing experiences. However, this integration remains primarily interpretative and does not imply causal relationships between the identified factors and mobbing experiences. Specifically, mobbing was primarily experienced through communication barriers, professional pressures, and psychological coercion. These findings suggest consistency between quantitative and qualitative results and contribute to a better understanding of academic mobbing. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: not applicable.