The positive association of physical activity on sadness and suicide behaviors for youth who have been bullied

Abstract

Background: Youth mental health is a public health crisis. Bullying has been associated with adverse mental health outcomes including depression and suicidal ideation. We aimed to update information regarding the associations between bullying and sadness and three suicide-related outcomes, along with the potential moderating effect of physical activity (PA).

Methods: Using the 2017-2021 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) with students in grades 9-12 we used descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multivariable logistic regressions to examine the association between students who have been bullied and who reported feeling sad or hopeless, as well as considered, planned, and/or attempted suicide, within the past year. We adjusted for PA, sex, race, and grade.

Results: Almost 24 % (10,828) of the sample reported being bullied. Of those, 59.9 % were female, and 60.2 % were non-Hispanic White. They reported feeling sad or hopeless, and/or considered, planned, or attempted suicide in 62.1 %, 38.5 %, 32.0 %, and 19.8 % respectively. In multivariable analyses, youth who were bullied were more often reported [aOR (95 % CI)] feeling sad or hopeless [aOR 3.75 (3.57, 3.94)], considered [aOR 3.79 (3.59, 4.00)], planned [aOR 3.78 (3.57, 4.00)], or attempted suicide [aOR 3.90 (3.62, 4.21)] compared to those not bullied. Engaging in PA reduced the odds of each outcome by 5 %-8 % for each day of activity.

Conclusions: Bullied adolescents had increased risks of experiencing adverse outcomes. Engaging in PA appears to be incrementally protective. Further research is needed to determine specific intervention characteristics that may effectively protect youth from the negative consequences of being bullied.

Keywords: Adolescents; Bullying; Exercise; Mental health; Prevention; Suicide.