Bullying Ups Risk of Anxiety
Excerpt By Lou Schuler, ABCNews.com

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Kids who are tortured, teased or otherwise bullied at school are at risk of becoming depressed and anxious teens, according to a new report.

Researchers found that secondary school students who were bullied at age 13 were more likely to report symptoms of depression, anxiety and loneliness one year later, regardless of the nature of their friendships or family relations. Girls were particularly vulnerable to the effects of bullying, the researchers report in the September 1st issue of the British Medical Journal.

The findings underscore the need for parents and teachers to address bullying and to establish programs that deal with the mental health of adolescents, according to Dr. Lyndal Bond and colleagues at the Royal Children's Hospital in Victoria, Australia.

``This (study) suggests that a reduction in victimisation in schools is potentially a useful preventive intervention, especially for girls,'' the authors write. ``The indications from this study are that such a reduction could have a substantial impact on the emotional well-being of young people.''

The study included more than 2,500 students who were surveyed twice at age 13 and once at age 14. One third of students were the target of repeated bullying, and one-third were bullied at one point during the study. The remainder had not been bullied at any time during the study period.

Students were considered to be victimized if they were teased, had rumors spread about them, were deliberately excluded or were the targets of physical threats or violence.

Those with a history of victimization were found to be at greater risk of anxiety or depression, as well as problematic social relationships. Even students who reported having someone to talk to during tough times and share feelings were at risk.

In fact, depressive symptoms could be traced to a history of bullying in up to 30% of students who reported such feelings, the researchers point out.

``These findings have implications for how seriously the occurrence of victimisation is treated and for the focus of interventions aimed at addressing mental health issues in adolescents,'' Bond and colleagues conclude.

SOURCE: British Medical Journal 2001;323:480-484.

Reference Source 89

For more information on how to prevent other diseases, use
PreventDisease.com's "Quick Prevention Resources".