Childhood bullying behavior and later psychiatric hospital and psychopharmacologic treatment: findings from the Finnish 1981 birth cohort study.
BACKGROUND
No prospective population-based study examining predictive associations between childhood bullying behavior and long-term mental health outcomes in both males and females exists.


OBJECTIVE
To study predictive associations between bullying and victimization in childhood and later psychiatric hospital and psychopharmacologic treatment.


METHODS
Nationwide birth cohort study from age 8 to 24 years.


METHODS
Five thousand thirty-eight Finnish children born in 1981 with complete information about bullying and victimization at age 8 years from parents, teachers, and self-reports.


METHODS
National register-based lifetime information about psychiatric hospital treatments and psychopharmacologic medication prescriptions.


RESULTS
When controlled for psychopathology score, frequent victim status at age 8 years among females independently predicted psychiatric hospital treatment and use of antipsychotic, antidepressant, and anxiolytic drugs. Among males, frequent bully-victim and bully-only statuses predicted use of antidepressant and anxiolytic drugs. Frequent bully-victim status among males also predicted psychiatric hospital treatment and use of antipsychotics. However, when the analysis was controlled with total psychopathology score at age 8 years, frequent bully, victim, or bully-victim status did not predict any psychiatric outcomes among males.


CONCLUSIONS
Boys and girls who display frequent bullying behavior should be evaluated for possible psychiatric problems, as bullying behaviors in concert with psychiatric symptoms are early markers of risk of psychiatric outcome. Among females, frequent childhood victimization predicts later psychiatric problems irrespective of psychiatric problems at baseline.
Sourander
Andre
A
Regional Center of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Tromsö University, Tromsö, Norway. andre.sourander@utu.fi
Ronning
John
J
Brunstein-Klomek
Anat
A
Gyllenberg
David
D
Kumpulainen
Kirsti
K
Niemelä
Solja
S
Helenius
Hans
H
Sillanmäki
Lauri
L
Ristkari
Terja
T
Tamminen
Tuula
T
Moilanen
Irma
I
Piha
Jorma
J
Almqvist
Fredrik
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006760:Hospitalization; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012307:Risk Factors
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs