Study Establishes Long-Term Effects Of Childhood Bullying.

The New York Times (2/20, Saint Louis) “Well” blog reports, “Victims of bullying at school, and bullies themselves, are more likely to experience psychiatric problems in childhood, studies have shown. Now,” according to a study published online Feb. 20 in JAMA Psychiatry, “researchers have found that elevated risk of psychiatric trouble extends into adulthood, sometimes even a decade after the intimidation has ended.”

The Huffington Post (2/20, Pappas) carries a LiveScience piece, which reports that researchers “used data from a study begun 20 years ago, which queried 1,420 children and their parents about general mental health beginning at age 9, 11 or 13.” The youngsters “were assessed annually until age 16, and then they came back for follow-ups at ages 19, 21 and 25. Before age 16, participants were asked whether they had been bullied or bullied others, how frequently, and where any bullying occurred, among other questions.”

HealthDay (2/21, Reinberg) reports that the investigators “found that both those who had been bullied as kids and those who had been both bullies and bullied had a higher risk for psychological problems than those who weren’t bullied. Those problems included depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, generalized anxiety, panic disorder and agoraphobia.” What’s more, “those who were both bullies and victims of bullying had, in addition to being at risk for anxiety and depression, the highest levels of suicidal thoughts.”

Medscape (2/21, Cassels) reports that “bullies were at risk for antisocial personality disorder only (OR, 4.1; 95% CI, 1.1 – 15.8; P < .04)." MedPage Today (2/21, Phend) points out that "the study was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute on Drug Abuse," among others. Also covering the story is the Daily Mail (UK) (2/21). Related Links:

— “Childhood Bullying Can Leave Lifelong Scars, “Steven Reinberg, HealthDay, February 20, 2013.

Posted in In The News.