Journal article
Cyberbullying, mental health, and substance use experimentation among early adolescents: a prospective cohort study
Lancet Regional Health - Americas (Online), v 46, pp 101002-101002
01 Jun 2025
PMID: 40625792
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
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).
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.
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.
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.
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).
Metrics
Details
- Title
- Cyberbullying, mental health, and substance use experimentation among early adolescents: a prospective cohort study
- Creators
- Jason M. Nagata - University of California, San FranciscoJoan Shim - Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USAPriyadharshini Balasubramanian - Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USAAlicia W. Leong - Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USAZacariah Smith-Russack - Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USAIris Y. Shao - Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USAAbubakr A.A. Al-Shoaibi - Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USAChristiane K. Helmer - Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USAKyle T. Ganson - Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaAlexander Testa - Department of Management, Policy and Community Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USAOrsolya Kiss - Center for Health Sciences, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA, USAJinbo He - School of Humanities and Social Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Longgang District, Shenzhen, ChinaAllison K. Groves - Drexel University, Urban Health CollaborativeSarah Baird - Milken InstituteFiona C. Baker - Center for Health Sciences, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA, USA
- Publication Details
- Lancet Regional Health - Americas (Online), v 46, pp 101002-101002
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Number of pages
- 13
- Grant note
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (https://doi.org/10.13039/100000865) National Institutes of Health (https://doi.org/10.13039/100000002) 2022056 / Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (https://doi.org/10.13039/100000862)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Community Health and Prevention
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001511991300001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105005653248
- Other Identifier
- 991022053802504721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Health Care Sciences & Services
- Public, Environmental & Occupational Health