Association of childhood bullying victimisation with suicide deaths: findings from a 50-year nationwide cohort study

Bullying victimisation has been associated with increased risk of suicide ideation and attempt throughout the lifespan, but no study has yet examined whether it translates to a greater risk of death by suicide. We aimed to determine the association of bullying victimisation with suicide mortality. P...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychological medicine 2023-07, Vol.53 (9), p.4152-4159
Main Authors: Geoffroy, Marie-Claude, Arseneault, Louise, Girard, Alain, Ouellet-Morin, Isabelle, Power, Chris
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age
Births
Bullying
Childhood experiences
Children
Children & youth
Cohort analysis
Emotional behavior
Emotional disturbances
Families & family life
Health services
Life span
Males
Mortality
Mothers
Original
Original Article
Prevention programs
Risk factors
Suicidal behavior
Suicidal ideation
Suicide
Suicides & suicide attempts
Victimization
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Summary:Bullying victimisation has been associated with increased risk of suicide ideation and attempt throughout the lifespan, but no study has yet examined whether it translates to a greater risk of death by suicide. We aimed to determine the association of bullying victimisation with suicide mortality. Participants were drawn from the 1958 British birth cohort, a prospective follow-up of all births in 1 week in Britain in 1958. We conducted logistic regressions on 14 946 participants whose mothers reported bullying victimisation at 7 and 11 years with linked information on suicide deaths through the National Health Service Central Register. Fifty-five participants (48 males) had died by suicide between the age 18 and 52 years. Bullying victimisation was associated with suicide mortality; a one standard deviation increases in bullying victimisation linked to an increased odds for suicide mortality [odds ratio (OR) 1.29; 1.02-1.64] during adulthood. The OR attenuated by 11% after adjustment for individual (e.g. behavioural and emotional problems) and familial characteristics (e.g. adverse childhood experiences, 1.18; 0.92-1.51). Analysis of bullying victimisation frequency categories yields similar results: compared with individuals who had not been bullied, those who had been frequently bullied had an increased odds for suicide mortality (OR 1.89; 0.99-3.62). Our study suggests that individuals who have been frequently bullied have a small increased risk of dying by suicide, when no other risk factors is considered. Suicide prevention might start in childhood, with bullying included in a range of inter-correlated vulnerabilities encompassing behavioural and emotional difficulties and adverse experiences within the family.
ISSN:0033-2917
1469-8978
DOI:10.1017/S0033291722000836