Islam, Md Irteja and Yunus, Fakir Md. and Salam, Shumona Sharmin and Kabir, Enamul 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6157-2753 and Khanam, Rasheda ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1130-2357
(2022)
Mental health services use among adolescent bullying victims in Australia: results from a nationwide survey.
Children and Youth Services Review, 132:106312.
pp. 1-11.
ISSN 0190-7409
Abstract
Background: Research supports a robust association between bullying, mental disorder, self-harm, and suicidal ideation in adolescence; however, the relation between bullying victimization and access to mental health services is incompletely understood. This study investigated whether traditional and cyberbullying victimization were associated with access to mental health services in adolescents, and to test the interaction between bullying victimization with a mental disorder, self-harm, and suicidal ideation on each service.
Methods: Data analyses were conducted on 2218 Australian adolescents aged 12-17 years using the Young Minds Matter survey. Binary logistic regression models were employed to assess the odds of using mental health services (health, school, telephone, and online) separately among traditional bullying and cyberbullying victims. Interaction terms – ‘bullying victimization and mental disorder’, ‘bullying victimization and self-harm’, and ‘bullying victimization and suicidal ideation’, – were included in the regression models to examine whether and to what extent service use is affected respectively among traditionally bullied and cyberbullied sample.
Results: Overall, 27.6% and 11.2% of adolescents experienced traditional bullying and cyberbullying, respectively. Also, the percentages of any mental disorder (20.4%) and health-risk behaviours (self-harm - 7.6% and suicidal ideation - 8.3%) were significant among the sample. Although many bullying victims did not use any services, both bivariate and multivariate analyses showed a strong and significant association between bullying victimization (traditional and cyber) and access to mental health services. Adolescents who reported both traditional bullying victimization and self-harm were found to be significantly associated with school service (p<0.05). School service was also significantly (p<0.05) used among those who experienced both traditional bullying victimization and suicidal ideation. Surprisingly, other interaction terms did not show any significant change in the service use among bullying victims.
Conclusion: A limited number of bullying victims with or without mental health problems (mental disorder, self-harm, and suicidal ideation) use mental health services. Further research is warranted to identify the barriers to service use and to promote service utilization in adolescent bullying victims in a way that prevents the effects of bullying timely.
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| Item Type: | Article (Commonwealth Reporting Category C) |
|---|---|
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Published online: 22 November 2021. Permanent restricted access to Online Accepted version, in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Sciences (6 Sep 2019 - 31 Dec 2021) |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Current - Institute for Resilient Regions - Centre for Health Research (1 Apr 2020 -) |
| Date Deposited: | 24 Nov 2021 01:43 |
| Last Modified: | 23 May 2022 06:13 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | traditional bullying; cyberbullying; mental disorder; self-harm; suicidal ideation; mental health services |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 11 Medical and Health Sciences > 1117 Public Health and Health Services > 111799 Public Health and Health Services not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 42 HEALTH SCIENCES > 4206 Public health > 420699 Public health not elsewhere classified |
| Socio-Economic Objectives (2008): | E Expanding Knowledge > 97 Expanding Knowledge > 970111 Expanding Knowledge in the Medical and Health Sciences |
| Socio-Economic Objectives (2020): | 20 HEALTH > 2004 Public health (excl. specific population health) > 200499 Public health (excl. specific population health) not elsewhere classified |
| Identification Number or DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2021.106312 |
| URI: | http://eprints.usq.edu.au/id/eprint/45285 |
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