Key Points
Children who experience bullying are likely to develop distrust and are 3.5 times more likely to experience clinically-significant mental health issues by age 17, according to a study...
The study, published in the journal Nature Mental Health, is believed to be 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...
They found that adolescents who were bullied at age 11 and in turn developed greater interpersonal distrust by age 14 were around 3.5 times more likely to experience clinically significant mental health problems at age 17 compared to those who developed less distrust...
The findings could help schools and other institutions to develop new evidence-based programmes to counter the negative mental health impacts of bullying, said George Slavich, who directs UCLA Healths Laboratory for Stress Assessment and Research...
In order to help teenagers reach their fullest potential, we need to invest in research that identifies risk factors for poor health and that translates this knowledge into prevention programmes that can improve lifelong health and resilience, he said.. Prior research has identified associations between bullying and mental and behavioural health issues among youth, including its impact on substance abuse, depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts...
