James Cook University — MedicalXPress — 3 June 2021
James Cook University researchers have found three lifestyle factors that significantly predispose bullied adolescents to plan or attempt suicide. A team analysed data from a survey of more than 280,000 students aged 13 to 17 from 90 countries. Adolescents who experienced bullying had more than twice the odds of thinking about and planning suicide, and close to three times greater odds of attempting it, compared to those who were not bullied. More than 30% of surveyed students had been bullied, and more than 10% of these had attempted suicide.
The three strongest links between bullying and suicidal behaviour were loneliness, sleep disturbances, and alcohol consumption. Nearly one-fifth of the total association between bullying and suicidal ideation was linked to loneliness alone. Sleep disturbances and alcohol consumption each explained 4–9% of the link. The three factors tend to reinforce each other: alcohol consumption is linked to sleep disruption and loneliness; bullies target lonely people; and chronic peer bullying often leaves victims isolated. The researchers recommend targeted policies focusing on addressing these three intermediate factors, and screening adolescents for loneliness, poor sleep and alcohol use as part of suicide prevention strategies.