NEW YORK – Research shows that children who experience bullying are more likely to be distrustful and 3.5 times more likely to experience clinically significant mental health problems by age 17.
The study, published in Nature Mental Health, is the first to examine the link between peer bullying, interpersonal distrust, and the subsequent development of mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, hyperactivity, and anger. It is believed that
For the study, researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the US and the University of Glasgow in the UK used data from 10,000 children in the UK.
Researchers found that adolescents who were bullied at age 11 and who had greater interpersonal distrust by age 14 were more likely to have clinically significant mental health problems at age 17 than those who were less distrustful. found that women were approximately 3.5 times more likely to experience health problems.
Dr. George Slavich, director of the Department of Health’s Stress Assessment and Research Laboratory at the University of California, Los Angeles, said the findings provide new evidence to help schools and other institutions combat the negative mental health effects of bullying. He said it could help develop interventions based on the results.
“There are few public health topics more important than youth mental health at this time,” Slavic said.
“To help teenagers reach their full potential, we need to invest in research that identifies risk factors for poor health and incorporates that knowledge into prevention programs that improve lifelong health and resilience.” “There is,” he said.
Previous research has identified links between bullying and mental and behavioral health problems in young people, including effects on substance abuse, depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicidal ideation.
But this study, which followed adolescents over time, is the first to confirm the suspected pathway of how bullying leads to mistrust and, in turn, to mental health problems in late adolescence.
Slavic said that if people develop clinically significant mental health problems during their teenage years, if left unaddressed, they are at increased risk of experiencing both mental and physical health problems throughout their lives. He said it was possible.
In addition to interpersonal distrust, the research team also looked at how eating, sleeping, and physical activity were linked to peer bullying and subsequent mental health problems.
However, only interpersonal distrust was found to be associated with increased risk of bullying and experiencing mental health problems at age 17.
“These data suggest that there is a real need for school-based programs that help foster interpersonal trust at the classroom and school level,” Slavic said.
“One way to do that is to develop evidence-based programs that specifically focus on the transition to high school and college, positioning school as an opportunity to build intimate, long-term relationships,” he said. Stated. (IANS)
