Former Green Bay Packers cheerleader Kaitlyn Collins expressed through an emotional video her stand against cyber bullying, which has been linked to teenage bouts of depression in the US. (Photo : YouTube/Kaitlyn Jenner)
Cyberbullying can trigger depressive bouts, particularly in teens in the United States.
This is among the key findings published this June in the online edition of the JAMA Pediatrics Journal. Thirty-six studies culled from 34 publications by a research team led by Michele Hamm, PhD of University of Alberta, uncovered a consistent link between being subjected to cyberbullying and higher probability of depression in teens hovering in ages from 12 to 18 years.
There were 10 studies that showed a significantly strong association between cyberbullying and bouts of depression. Interestingly, a large percentage of the teenage social media users surveyed maintained a Facebook account.
Hamm noted that one of the 10 studies conducted on a long-term basis, which closely following the surveyed teens, indicated incidence of cyberbullying prior to the subjects' depression, suggesting a cause-and-effect relationship, Live Science reported.
The study draws attention to one of the downsides of unguided internet use. Teens that are given liberty to interact with their peers and the public-at-large through social media sites may not be aware of privacy settings or overall safe internet usage. Parents who are not tuning in to their kids are in effect setting the stage for troubled individuals later on in life.
The researchers deduced that the greater the exposure of teens to cyberbullying, the more pronounced the symptoms of depression may be. Hamm pointed out that further studies are needed to ascertain the connection, if any, between instances of cyberbullying and other mental health problems other than depression, from severe anxiety to self-inflicting harm.
