Sensitive periods for the effect of bullying victimization on suicidal behaviors among university students in China: the roles of timing and chronicity

Highlight：大小学或更小时期与初中时期遭受同伴欺凌与大学生自杀相关行为风险增加有关。

Abstract

Objective: To examine whether timing and chronicity of bullying victimization (BV) play a signifificant role in linking exposure to BV to suicidal behaviors in university students. Methods: A multistage stratifification sampling method was used to select a sample of 4034 university students (18–23 years, mean age 20.38 ± 1.35 years, 41.9% female). We used latent class analysis and developmentalstage-based characterizations of BV timing and chronicity to explore the sensitive periods for the effffect of BV on suicidal behaviors. Results: The prevalence rates of suicidal ideation, plans and attempts among our study participants were 9.9%, 3.0% and 1.3%, respectively. BV during primary school (OR = 2.12, 95% CI: 1.55–2.90) and secondary school (OR = 2.65, 95% CI: 1.80–3.90) was associated with suicidal ideation among university students. We identifified four classes of life-course BV experiences (low BV, 73.8%; moderate BV, 18.6%; secondary school BV, 4.4% and persistent BV, 3.2%). Persistent BV was associated with 2.50 times (95% CI: 1.56–3.98), 2.98 times (95% CI: 1.48–6.02), and 6.13 times (95% CI: 2.48–15.14) higher risk of suicide ideation, plans, and attempts, respectively. Both moderate BV (OR = 1.75, 95% CI: 1.35–2.26) and secondary school BV (OR=2.01, 95% CI: 1.29–3.12) were positively correlated with suicidal ideation. Furthermore, there was a dose-response relationship between the number of periods of BV and suicidal behaviors. Limitations: This study was a cross-sectional study based on self-reported measures, especially BV experiences in each school stage. Conclusions: This study identififies sensitive periods for the effffect of BV on suicidal behaviors among university students in China.

Sensitive periods for the effect of bullying victimization on suicidal behaviors among university students in China: the roles of timing and chronicity. Journal of Affective Disorders, 2020, 268: 12-19