In a study published by JAMA Psychiatry, researchers conducted a study to see how being bullied and being in the presence of bullying affected children as they aged. The participants included 2,034 children from Finland who were periodically checked up on between the ages of eight and 29.
According to the study, 4,540 (90.2%) of the individuals did not engage in bullying behavior; of these, 520 (11.5%) had received a psychiatric diagnosis at follow-up; 33 of 166 (19.9%) who engaged in frequent bullying, 58 of 251 (23.1%) frequently exposed to bullying, and 24 of 77 (31.2%) who both frequently engaged in and were frequently exposed to bullying had received psychiatric diagnoses at follow-up.
The study found independent associations of treatment of any psychiatric disorder with frequent exposure to bullying after being adjusted for a variety of factors. The researchers also found that exposure to bullying was specifically associated with depression.
Bullying was associated with psychiatric outcomes only in the presence of psychiatric problems at 8 years of age. Participants who were bullies and exposed to bullying at 8 years of age had a high risk for several psychiatric disorders requiring treatment in adulthood.
For more information, read the whole brief.
http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2472952#Introduction
Razi Berry, Founder and Publisher of Naturopathic Doctor News & Review (ndnr.com) and NaturalPath (thenatpath.com), has spent the last decade as a natural medicine advocate and marketing whiz. She has galvanized and supported the naturopathic community, bringing a higher quality of healthcare to millions of North Americans through her publications. A self proclaimed health-food junkie and mother of two; she loves all things nature, is obsessed with organic gardening, growing fruit trees (not easy in Phoenix), laughing until she snorts, and homeschooling. She is a little bit crunchy and yes, that is her real name.