Adult Psychiatric Outcomes of Bullying and Being Bullied by Peers in Childhood and Adolescence

Posted by Maria Mangicaro
Bullying Prevention Advocate
mangicaro829@aol.com

William E. Copeland, PhD; Dieter Wolke, PhD; Adrian Angold, MRCPsych; E. Jane Costello, PhD
JAMA Psychiatry. 2013;70(4):419-426. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.504.

ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT | METHODS | RESULTS | COMMENT | ARTICLE INFORMATION | REFERENCES
Importance Both bullies and victims of bullying are at risk for psychiatric problems in childhood, but it is unclear if this elevated risk extends into early adulthood.

Objective To test whether bullying and/or being bullied in childhood predicts psychiatric problems and suicidality in young adulthood after accounting for childhood psychiatric problems and family hardships.

Design Prospective, population-based study.

Setting Community sample from 11 counties in Western North Carolina.

Participants A total of 1420 participants who had being bullied and bullying assessed 4 to 6 times between the ages of 9 and 16 years. Participants were categorized as bullies only, victims only, bullies and victims (hereafter referred to as bullies/victims), or neither.

Main Outcome Measure Psychiatric outcomes, which included depression, anxiety, antisocial personality disorder, substance use disorders, and suicidality (including recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal ideation, or a suicide attempt), were assessed in young adulthood (19, 21, and 24-26 years) by use of structured diagnostic interviews.

Results Victims and bullies/victims had elevated rates of young adult psychiatric disorders, but also elevated rates of childhood psychiatric disorders and family hardships. After controlling for childhood psychiatric problems or family hardships, we found that victims continued to have a higher prevalence of agoraphobia (odds ratio [OR], 4.6 [95% CI, 1.7-12.5]; P < .01), generalized anxiety (OR, 2.7 [95% CI, 1.1-6.3]; P < .001), and panic disorder (OR, 3.1 [95% CI, 1.5-6.5]; P < .01) and that bullies/victims were at increased risk of young adult depression (OR, 4.8 [95% CI, 1.2-19.4]; P < .05), panic disorder (OR, 14.5 [95% CI, 5.7-36.6]; P < .001), agoraphobia (females only; OR, 26.7 [95% CI, 4.3-52.5]; P < .001), and suicidality (males only; OR, 18.5 [95% CI, 6.2-55.1]; P < .001). Bullies were at risk for antisocial personality disorder only (OR, 4.1 [95% CI, 1.1-15.8]; P < .04).

Conclusions and Relevance The effects of being bullied are direct, pleiotropic, and long-lasting, with the worst effects for those who are both victims and bullies.

Bullying And Psychiatric Illness Linked

Posted by Maria Mangicaro
Bullying Prevention Advocate
mangicaro829@aol.com

February 26, 201312:00 PM

A new study on bullying shows that people who were bullied have higher rates of psychiatric illness as adults. Host Michel Martin speaks with the study’s lead author, William Coleman of Duke University, and bullying expert Rosalind Wiseman.

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MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I’m Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. They say it takes a village to raise a child, but maybe you just need a few moms in your corner. Every week, we check in with a diverse group of parents for their common sense and savvy advice.

Today, we want to return to an issue that’s been a part of childhood for decades, if not forever, but which has lately become the subject of much national concern. We’re talking again about bullying, and we’re talking about it because parents, educators and policymakers have become aware of just how traumatic bullying can be for young people.

Now, though, a new study shows that these damaging effects can follow people to adulthood. The new study published last week in the Journal of the American Medical Association’s JAMA Psychiatry followed almost 1,500 children and found both victims and perpetrators of bullying had higher rates of psychiatric disorders as adults.

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