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Cyber-victimisation and mental health in young people: a co-twin control study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 May 2020

Jessie R. Baldwin Open the ORCID record for Jessie R. Baldwin [Opens in a new window] ,
Ziada Ayorech ,
Fruhling V. Rijsdijk ,
Tabea Schoeler  and
Jean-Baptiste Pingault
Jessie R. Baldwin*
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
Ziada Ayorech
Affiliation:
Nic Waals Institute, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, Norway Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
Fruhling V. Rijsdijk
Affiliation:
Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
Tabea Schoeler
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
Jean-Baptiste Pingault
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
*
Author for correspondence: Jessie R. Baldwin, E-mail: j.baldwin@ucl.ac.uk
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Abstract

Background

The rise of social media use in young people has sparked concern about the impact of cyber-victimisation on mental health. Although cyber-victimisation is associated with mental health problems, it is not known whether such associations reflect genetic and environmental confounding.

Methods

We used the co-twin control design to test the direct association between cyber-victimisation and multiple domains of mental health in young people. Participants were 7708 twins drawn from the Twins Early Development Study, a UK-based population cohort followed from birth to age 22.

Results

Monozygotic twins exposed to greater levels of cyber-victimisation had more symptoms of internalising, externalising and psychotic disorders than their less victimised co-twins at age 22, even after accounting for face-to-face peer victimisation and prior mental health. However, effect sizes from the most stringent monozygotic co-twin control analyses were decreased by two thirds from associations at the individual level [pooled β across all mental health problems = 0.06 (95% CI 0.03–0.10) v. 0.17 (95% CI 0.15–0.19) in individual-level analyses].

Conclusions

Cyber-victimisation has a small direct association with multiple mental health problems in young people. However, a large part of the association between cyber-victimisation and mental health is due to pre-existing genetic and environmental vulnerabilities and co-occurring face-to-face victimisation. Therefore, preventative interventions should target cyber-victimisation in conjunction with pre-existing mental health vulnerabilities and other forms of victimisation.

Keywords

Co-twin control designcyber-bullyingcyber-victimisationmental healthtwin study
Type
Original Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 51 , Issue 15 , November 2021 , pp. 2620 - 2630
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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