Childhood Bullying as a Predictor of Suicidality in Young Adults in a Nationwide Population-Based Health Examination Study

Abstract

Objective

Having been bullied at school in childhood links to suicidality. We aimed at verifying earlier findings and delivering diverse data from a representative population-based sample of young adults to characterize the impacts beyond childhood.

Method

A random sample of adults, aged 18–28 years and representative of the general population living in Finland, participated in a nationwide health examination study. Adverse childhood experiences before the age of 16 years were analyzed for 779 participants in relation to lifetime suicidality (suicidal ideation, suicide attempts), current suicidal thoughts (HSCL-25), mental disorders (self-reports for lifetime, M-CIDI for DSM-IV during the past 12 months), current usage of mental health services, current usage of prescription medicines (ATC codes), current psychological distress (GHQ-12), and current work capacity and work ability.

Results

Having been bullied in childhood contributed to greater suicidality (p < 0.001), more frequent current usage of antipsychotics (p < 0.001) as well as antidepressants (p < 0.001), greater current psychological distress (p < 0.001), and poorer current work capacity (p < 0.001) as well as work ability (p < 0.001). Of the self-reported mental disorders on lifetime basis, psychosis had the strongest association (p = 0.03) with having been bullied, whereas the interview-based diagnosis of mental disorders during the past 12 months had no significant association.

Conclusions

Having been bullied at school before the age of 16 years was independently associated not only with suicidality, but also with the self-report of psychosis as well as a range of indicators of poorer mental health at the age of 18–28 years.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Having been bullied at school contributed to suicidality in young adults.

• Having been bullied linked to current use of antipsychotics and antidepressants.

• Having been bullied associated with poor work capacity and poor work ability.

Keywords:

• Adulthood
• adversity
• diagnosis
• national
• psychiatric
• psychotropic

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors want to thank the organizers of the Health 2011 Survey, all members of the staff for the study, and all whom participated in the study.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Raimo Palmu

Raimo Palmu, Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital (HUS), Helsinki, Finland.

Timo Partonen

Timo Partonen, Department of Public Health and Welfare, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland.