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Bullying Victimisation and Mental Health: The Mediating Role of Peer and Family Social Support.

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Title: Bullying Victimisation and Mental Health: The Mediating Role of Peer and Family Social Support.
Authors: Shannon C; IMPACT Research Centre, Northern Health and Social Care Trust, Antrim, UK., Higgins K; Queen's University Belfast, School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, Belfast, UK., Kelly G; Queen's University Belfast, School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, Belfast, UK., Mulholland C; IMPACT Research Centre, Northern Health and Social Care Trust, Antrim, UK.; Queen's University Belfast, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Belfast, UK., Korimbocus B; IMPACT Research Centre, Northern Health and Social Care Trust, Antrim, UK.; Queen's University Belfast, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Belfast, UK., Jordan JA; IMPACT Research Centre, Northern Health and Social Care Trust, Antrim, UK.
Source: Early intervention in psychiatry [Early Interv Psychiatry] 2026 Aug; Vol. 20 (8), pp. e70225.
Publication Type: Journal Article
Language: English
Journal Info: Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell Country of Publication: Australia NLM ID: 101320027 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1751-7893 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 17517885 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Early Interv Psychiatry Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Original Publication: Carlton,VIC, Australia : Wiley-Blackwell
MeSH Terms: Bullying*/psychology , Crime Victims*/psychology , Psychotic Disorders*/psychology , Psychotic Disorders*/etiology , Depression*/psychology , Marijuana Abuse*/psychology , Peer Group* , Social Support*, Humans ; Child ; Adolescent ; Male ; Female ; Young Adult ; Family Support ; Prospective Studies ; Longitudinal Studies
Abstract: Introduction: Adverse childhood experiences have been consistently linked to a range of mental health related difficulties in adulthood. One such experience is bullying, which has been shown to predict psychotic symptoms. This study aimed to explore whether bullying victimisation in early adolescence is associated with certain mental health outcomes (psychosis, depression and cannabis abuse) and whether this is mediated by the individuals' perception of social support from peers and family.
Methods: This study performed secondary data analysis of a prospective cohort study, the Belfast Youth Development Study (BYDS). It used longitudinal data from 2087 participants from ages 12-21 years and performed path analysis (using Mplus V8) between bullying and the above mental health outcomes and mediators.
Results: The results showed a direct path from bullying to psychotic symptoms (estimate = 0.10; SE = 0.0; p = 0.030) as well as an indirect path mediated by peer attachment, parental attachment and depression symptoms (estimate = 0.01; bootstrapped 95% CIs 0.01, 0.02).
Conclusion: Being bullied in childhood is directly associated with a greater risk of having psychotic symptoms as an adult. There is also an indirect path from bullying in childhood to psychosis symptoms as an adult mediated by peer attachment, parental attachment, and depression. Interventions should be aimed at addressing bullying and strengthening social support from peers and family.
(© 2026 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)
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Grant Information: Northern Health and Social Care Trust
Contributed Indexing: Keywords: bullying; cannabis abuse; depression; psychosis; social support
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20260731 Date Completed: 20260731 Latest Revision: 20260803
Update Code: 20260803
PubMed Central ID: PMC13428009
DOI: 10.1111/eip.70225
PMID: 42538517
Database: MEDLINE
Description
ISSN:1751-7893
DOI:10.1111/eip.70225