Cyberbullying, mental health, and substance use experimentation among early adolescents: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND

Although cyberbullying has been linked with adverse health outcomes, most prior studies have been cross-sectional, and there are limited large-scale, prospective analyses examining cyberbullying and mental health and substance use outcomes in early adolescents. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine prospective associations between cyberbullying, mental health, and substance use experimentation one year later in a US national cohort of early adolescents (11-12 years old).

METHODS

We analyzed prospective cohort data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (Year 2, N = 9799). Linear and logistic regression analyses were used to determine associations between cyberbullying victimization (exposure variable, Year 2) and mental health (depressive, anxiety, attention, somatic, oppositional defiant, conduct problems, and suicidal behaviours), and substance (alcohol, nicotine, cannabis) use experimentation outcomes (Year 3), adjusting for sociodemographic variables and mental health outcomes, suicidal behaviours, or reported substance use experimentation at Year 2.

FINDINGS

The total analysed sample comprised 9799 who were 48.4% female and racially/ethnically diverse (45.1% non-White). 8.7% reported lifetime cyberbullying victimization. Cyberbullying victimization was prospectively associated with higher depressive (β = 0.61, 95% CI 0.02-1.19), somatic (β = 1.00, 95% CI 0.42-1.57), and attention problems (β = 0.52, 95% CI 0.03-1.00), as well as suicidal behaviors (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.62, 95% CI 1.73-3.98) one year later. Cyberbullying victimization was prospectively associated with higher odds of alcohol (AOR 1.98, 95% CI 1.53-2.57), nicotine (AOR 3.37, 95% 2.16-5.26), and cannabis (AOR 4.65, 95% 2.46-8.77) experimentation one year later. While cyberbullying victimization was associated with anxiety, oppositional defiant, and conduct problems in the unadjusted model, this was no longer significant after adjusting for covariates.

INTERPRETATION

Given associations with poor mental health and substance use in early adolescents, it is important to develop interventions to prevent and reduce cyberbullying. Pediatricians, parents, and educators can provide mental health support for early adolescent victims of cyberbullying.

FUNDING

This research was supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (INV-048897). J.M.N. was funded by the National Institutes of Health (K08HL159350 and R01MH135492) and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (2022056).