Types and prevalence of digital harassment from external and unknown individuals and prospective associations with employee health outcomes

Digital harassment from individuals external to the workplace is an emerging occupational health concern, but evidence on its longer-term health consequences remains limited. This prospective cohort study investigated characteristics associated with exposure, its prevalence, types, employee reactions, and associations with health outcomes among employees in Danish workplaces. Data were collected through two survey rounds in 2024, completed by 991 employees. Digital harassment was defined as harassment, intimidation, verbal abuse, threats, or unwanted sexual attention delivered through digital media. Qualitative thematic analysis identified ten harassment types and thirteen employee reactions. Outcomes included burnout, psychological well-being, and self-rated health. Overall, 28% reported at least one incident within the past year. Prevalence was higher among public sector employees, permanent staff, and employees with longer seniority. The most common forms were condescending or offensive messages and false accusations, typically eliciting irritation, intimidation, shock, or emotional exhaustion. Adjusting for gender, age, and seniority, baseline harassment was associated with higher burnout symptoms (β = 3.28, 95% CI 0.54–6.02) and higher odds of low self-rated health at follow-up (OR = 1.69, 95% CI 1.05–2.72), but not psychological well-being. These associations were attenuated and no longer statistically significant after adjustment for the respective baseline health outcome.