Prevalence of bullying victimization and its association with self-perceived health, psychopathology, and suicidality: A nationwide population-based survey in Taiwan

Jia-In Lee; Chia-Yi Wu; William Huang; Ming-Been Lee; Chia-Ta Chan; Chun-Ying Chen

doi:10.1016/j.jfma.2022.07.008

Prevalence of bullying victimization and its association with self-perceived health, psychopathology, and suicidality: A nationwide population-based survey in Taiwan

J Formos Med Assoc. 2022 Dec;121(12):2416-2423. doi: 10.1016/j.jfma.2022.07.008. Epub 2022 Aug 26.

Authors

Jia-In Lee¹, Chia-Yi Wu², William Huang³, Ming-Been Lee⁴, Chia-Ta Chan⁵, Chun-Ying Chen⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
² School of Nursing, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Nursing, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Taiwan Suicide Prevention Center, Taiwan.
³ Department of Psychiatry, Shin-Kong Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: whuang@gwu.edu.
⁴ Taiwan Suicide Prevention Center, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Shin-Kong Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁵ Taiwan Suicide Prevention Center, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Shin-Kong Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁶ Taiwan Suicide Prevention Center, Taiwan.

PMID: 36031488
DOI: 10.1016/j.jfma.2022.07.008

Abstract

Background: The current study aimed to assess the prevalence of bullying victimization (BV) and its association with psychopathology and suicidality in a nationwide general population.

Methods: The target population were all the people living in Taiwan, the study samples were obtained by the following processes. A computer-assisted telephone interview was performed to identify potential respondents using telephone numbers selected with the stratified proportional randomization method. Self-reported data were evaluated. Moreover, data obtained using the validated Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS-5) and Concise Mental Health Checklist (CMHC) were used to evaluate psychopathological symptoms and overall suicidal risks, respectively. Results were further analyzed using the chi-square tests and logistic regression model.

Results: In total, 1930 respondents from a national general population survey were included in the analysis. The weighted prevalence of lifetime BV in the general population was 13.5%. Based on the chi-square analysis, individuals exposed to BV were at high risk for psychopathology (a BSRS-5 score of ≥6 (x² = 45.5, P ≤ .001) and high BSRS-5 scores for all five items). Bullying exposure was significantly associated with lifetime suicide ideation and suicide attempt (x² = 85.7, P ≤ .001; x² = 17.0, P ≤ .001, respectively). The help-seeking behavior of respondents exposed to bullying did not differ significantly (x² = 4.6, P = .327).

Conclusion: Bullying exposure is associated with recent psychopathology and lifetime suicidality. Multifactorial interactive processes contribute to long-term harmful health implications in adulthood. Nevertheless, further research on the relevant mechanisms associated with bullying and potential interventions that can decrease morbidity must be conducted.

Keywords: Bully; Help-seeking behavior; Prevalence; Psychopathology; Suicidology.

MeSH terms

Adult
Bullying* / psychology
Crime Victims* / psychology
Health Status
Humans
Mental Disorders* / diagnosis
Mental Disorders* / epidemiology
Prevalence
Suicidal Ideation
Suicide*
Taiwan / epidemiology