Mental health professionals have long debated the impact of
bullying on children. An article published in Medical News Today, May 7, 2009,
“Children Who Suffered Bullying Are More Likely To Develop Psychotic Symptoms
In Early Adolescence,” examines this issue. The article reports on a study
published in the May 2009 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry. The Researchers studied “…..6,437
early adolescents with an average age of 12.9….The children participated in the
Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Questionnaires were
regularly sent by mail to parents concerning their child's physical condition
and progress since birth. Beginning at the age of seven, the children were
submitted to physical and psychological evaluations on a yearly basis….During
the yearly visits, they were rated by skilled interviewers on whether during the
preceding six months they had experienced hallucinations, delusions, thought
disorders or any other psychotic symptoms. Peer victimization is defined as
harmful actions and unfair treatment by one or several other students with
purpose to harm. Children, parents and teachers were required to account on
whether the child had suffered such oppression.” The results were interesting. “The study
concluded that a total of 46.2 percent of the participants were considered as
victims, and 53.8 percent of the children as not mistreated at either ages of
eight or ten. After monitoring the follow-up results, they indicated the
following: 13.7 percent had broad psychosis-like symptoms, meaning one or more
symptoms suspected or positively present…11.5 percent had intermediate
symptoms, meaning one or more of the symptoms was suspected or present from
time to time, other than when going to sleep, waking from sleep, having fever
or after using substance….5.6 percent had narrow symptoms, meaning one or more
symptoms definitely present…Independent of other psychiatric illness, family
hardship, or the child's IQ, the risk of psychotic symptoms was multiplied by
two for children who suffered bullying at age eight or ten. The correlation was
more notable in cases where victimization was persistent or more traumatic.”
There are several important implications of this study. First, parents who
suspect that their children are victims of bullying must take immediate action
to stop the bullying. The long term consequences of inaction are simply too
severe. Second, mental health professionals who treat children with
psychotic-like symptoms must assess the children for a history of bullying.
Third, school professionals must intervene immediately when they witness
bullying of any child within the school setting. And fourth, public health
professionals must be more aggressive in educating the public about the danger
of bullying and the steps that parents must take to stop the bullying of their
children. The authors conclude, “…A major implication is that chronic or severe
peer victimization has non-trivial, adverse, long-term consequences. Reduction
of peer victimization and of the resulting stress caused to victims could be a
worthwhile target for prevention and early intervention efforts for common
mental health problems and psychosis."
The Bottom Line: The results of this study strongly suggest
that bullying can cause psychotic-like symptoms in children.
Reference: The original article
Additional Sources of Information:
Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:
- Stress and the Human Brain
- Early Life Stress and the Immune System
- The Facts About Major Depressive Disorder
- The Parent's Guide to Understanding Adolescent Depression
Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General
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Dr. Jeffrey Speller Dr. Tanya Korkosz
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