Childhood bullying behaviors as a risk for suicide attempts and completed suicides: a population-based birth cohort study.
OBJECTIVE
There are no previous studies about the association of childhood bullying behavior with later suicide attempts and completed suicides among both sexes. The aim was to study associations between childhood bullying behaviors at age 8 years and suicide attempts and completed suicides up to age 25 years in a large representative population-based birth cohort.


METHODS
The sample includes 5,302 Finnish children born in 1981. Information about bullying was gathered at age 8 years from self-report, as well as parent and teacher reports. Information about suicide attempts requiring hospital admission and completed suicides was gathered from three different Finnish registries until the study participants were 25 years old. Regression analyses were conducted to determine whether children who experience childhood bullying behaviors are at risk for later suicide attempts and completed suicides after controlling for baseline conduct and depression symptoms.


RESULTS
The association between bullying behavior at age 8 years and later suicide attempts and completed suicides varies by sex. Among boys, frequent bullying and victimization are associated with later suicide attempts and completed suicides but not after controlling for conduct and depression symptoms; frequent victimization among girls is associated with later suicide attempts and completed suicides, even after controlling for conduct and depression symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
When examining childhood bullying behavior as a risk factor for later suicide attempts and completed suicides, each sex has a different risk profile.
Klomek
Anat Brunstein
AB
Drs. Klomek and Gould are with Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute; Drs. Sourander, Piha, and Niemelä are with the University of Turku; Dr. Kumpulainen is with Kuopio University; Dr. Tamminen is with Tampere University; and Dr. Almqvist is with Helsinki University. Electronic address: klomeka@childpsych.columbia.edu.
Sourander
Andre
A
Drs. Klomek and Gould are with Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute; Drs. Sourander, Piha, and Niemelä are with the University of Turku; Dr. Kumpulainen is with Kuopio University; Dr. Tamminen is with Tampere University; and Dr. Almqvist is with Helsinki University.
Niemelä
Solja
S
Drs. Klomek and Gould are with Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute; Drs. Sourander, Piha, and Niemelä are with the University of Turku; Dr. Kumpulainen is with Kuopio University; Dr. Tamminen is with Tampere University; and Dr. Almqvist is with Helsinki University.
Kumpulainen
Kirsti
K
Drs. Klomek and Gould are with Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute; Drs. Sourander, Piha, and Niemelä are with the University of Turku; Dr. Kumpulainen is with Kuopio University; Dr. Tamminen is with Tampere University; and Dr. Almqvist is with Helsinki University.
Piha
Jorma
J
Drs. Klomek and Gould are with Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute; Drs. Sourander, Piha, and Niemelä are with the University of Turku; Dr. Kumpulainen is with Kuopio University; Dr. Tamminen is with Tampere University; and Dr. Almqvist is with Helsinki University.
Tamminen
Tuula
T
Drs. Klomek and Gould are with Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute; Drs. Sourander, Piha, and Niemelä are with the University of Turku; Dr. Kumpulainen is with Kuopio University; Dr. Tamminen is with Tampere University; and Dr. Almqvist is with Helsinki University.
Almqvist
Fredrik
F
Drs. Klomek and Gould are with Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute; Drs. Sourander, Piha, and Niemelä are with the University of Turku; Dr. Kumpulainen is with Kuopio University; Dr. Tamminen is with Tampere University; and Dr. Almqvist is with Helsinki University.
Gould
Madelyn S
MS
Drs. Klomek and Gould are with Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute; Drs. Sourander, Piha, and Niemelä are with the University of Turku; Dr. Kumpulainen is with Kuopio University; Dr. Tamminen is with Tampere University; and Dr. Almqvist is with Helsinki University.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D004291:Dominance-Subordination; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D010552:Personality Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult