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Childhood bullying victimization is associated with use of mental health services over five decades: a longitudinal nationally representative cohort study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 September 2016

S. Evans-Lacko ,
R. Takizawa ,
N. Brimblecombe ,
D. King ,
M. Knapp ,
B. Maughan  and
L. Arseneault
S. Evans-Lacko*
Affiliation:
Personal Social Services Research Unit, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, UK Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK
R. Takizawa
Affiliation:
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan SGDP Research Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK
N. Brimblecombe
Affiliation:
Personal Social Services Research Unit, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, UK
D. King
Affiliation:
Personal Social Services Research Unit, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, UK
M. Knapp
Affiliation:
Personal Social Services Research Unit, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, UK
B. Maughan
Affiliation:
SGDP Research Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK
L. Arseneault
Affiliation:
SGDP Research Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK
*
*Address for correspondence: S. Evans-Lacko, Ph.D., Personal Social Services Research Unit, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, UK. (Email: s.evans-lacko@lse.ac.uk)
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Abstract

Background

Research supports robust associations between childhood bullying victimization and mental health problems in childhood/adolescence and emerging evidence shows that the impact can persist into adulthood. We examined the impact of bullying victimization on mental health service use from childhood to midlife.

Method

We performed secondary analysis using the National Child Development Study, the 1958 British Birth Cohort Study. We conducted analyses on 9242 participants with complete data on childhood bullying victimization and service use at midlife. We used multivariable logistic regression models to examine associations between childhood bullying victimization and mental health service use at the ages of 16, 23, 33, 42 and 50 years. We estimated incidence and persistence of mental health service use over time to the age of 50 years.

Results

Compared with participants who were not bullied in childhood, those who were frequently bullied were more likely to use mental health services in childhood and adolescence [odds ratio (OR) 2.53, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.88–3.40] and also in midlife (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.10–1.55). Disparity in service use associated with childhood bullying victimization was accounted for by both incident service use through to age 33 years by a subgroup of participants, and by persistent use up to midlife.

Conclusions

Childhood bullying victimization adds to the pressure on an already stretched health care system. Policy and practice efforts providing support for victims of bullying could help contain public sector costs. Given constrained budgets and the long-term mental health impact on victims of bullying, early prevention strategies could be effective at limiting both individual distress and later costs.

Keywords

Adolescentsbullyingchildrenhealth servicemental health
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 47 , Issue 1 , January 2017 , pp. 127 - 135
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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