Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1999 Aug 7;319(7206):348-51.
doi: 10.1136/bmj.319.7206.348.

Bullying, depression, and suicidal ideation in Finnish adolescents: school survey

R Kaltiala-Heino  1 , M Rimpelä, M Marttunen, A Rimpelä, P Rantanen
Affiliations

Bullying, depression, and suicidal ideation in Finnish adolescents: school survey

R Kaltiala-Heino et al. BMJ. .

Abstract

Objective: To assess the relation between being bullied or being a bully at school, depression, and severe suicidal ideation.

Design: A school based survey of health, health behaviour, and behaviour in school which included questions about bullying and the Beck depression inventory, which includes items asking about suicidal ideation.

Setting: Secondary schools in two regions of Finland.

Participants: 16 410 adolescents aged 14-16.

Results: There was an increased prevalence of depression and severe suicidal ideation among both those who were bullied and those who were bullies. Depression was equally likely to occur among those who were bullied and those who were bullies. It was most common among those students who were both bullied by others and who were also bullies themselves. When symptoms of depression were controlled for, suicidal ideation occurred most often among adolescents who were bullies.

Conclusion: Adolescents who are being bullied and those who are bullies are at an increased risk of depression and suicide. The need for psychiatric intervention should be considered not only for victims of bullying but also for bullies.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

References

    1. Perry GD, Kusel SJ, Perry CL. Victims of peer aggression. Dev Psychol. 1988;24:807–814.
    1. Boulton MJ, Underwood K. Bully/victim problems among middle school children. Br J Educ Psychol. 1992;62:73–87. - PubMed
    1. Whitney I, Smith PK. A survey of the nature and extent of bullying in junior/middle and secondary schools. Educ Res. 1993;35:3–25.
    1. Rigby K, Slee PT. Dimensions of interpersonal relations among Australian children and implications for psychological well-being. J Soc Psychol. 1992;133:33–42. - PubMed
    1. Rutter M, Taylor E, Hersov M, editors. Child and adolescent psychiatry: modern approaches. 3rd ed. Oxford: Blackwell Science; 1994.