Bullied Children Twice As Likely To Be Depressed As Adults

Being bullied as a child may double the risk of depression for adults, according to recent findings published in JAMA Psychiatry.

A recent study examined British youth who experienced frequent bullying at age 13, doubling the risk of clinical depression at age 18.

While previous studies have linked bullying to short-term depression, this is one of the few long-term studies to show that people who are victims of agression during childhood may later suffer long-term mental health issues, according to Science Daily. Furthermore, previous findings have suggested that children who are frequently bullied may be more likely to have been bullied by their siblings, engage in self-harm or deal with severe anxiety.

For the study, researchrs used data from the United Kingdom's Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, which surveyed kids at age 13 on questions about bullying.

Findings revealed that about 15 percent of bullied victims were depressed at 18 compared to 5 percent who hadn never been bullied; this would suggest a tripled depression risk.

Though depression risk and early-life bullying were lower when pre-exsiting emotional issues and gender were also considered, it was still noteable, according to researchers.

What's particularly disturbing regarding study findings is that parents and children did not seem to share the same understanding of bullying. For instance, from a sample of 3,700 families, 1,199 teens said they had been frequently bullied. However, only 229 parents stated information of the abuse.

Furthermore, many who said they'd been bullied excessively when younger also did not report it to their teachers or their parents.

Yet the future looks hopeful. Health officials are hoping to further prevent these problems through education.

"Successful interventions tend to educate all children - those involved in bullying as bullies and victims, and also bystanders and other non-involved peers - about bullying, and involve increasing parental connections with the school, as well as dealing with specific cases of bullying," lead study author Dr. Lucy Bowes said via Medical Daily.

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