Sibling Bullying and Risk of Depression, Anxiety, and Self-Harm: A Prospective Cohort Study

Abstract

WHAT'S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT: Recent reviews suggest that children bullied by siblings are at increased risk of internalizing symptoms. It is not known whether being bullied by a sibling increases risk of psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, and self-harm. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS:Using a large, community-based birth cohort, we found that being bullied by a sibling is prospectively associated with a doubling in the odds of both depression and self-harm at 18 years in young adults. abstract OBJECTIVES: Being the victim of peer bullying is associated with increased risk of psychopathology, yet it is not known whether similar experiences of bullying increase risk of psychiatric disorder when the perpetrator is a sibling. We tested whether being bullied by a sibling is prospectively associated with depression, anxiety, and self-harm in early adulthood. METHODS:We conducted a longitudinal study using data from .6900 participants of a UK community-based birth cohort (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children) who reported on sibling bullying at 12 years. Our main outcome measures were depression, anxiety, and self-harm, assessed using the Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised during clinic assessments when participants were 18. RESULTS:Children who were frequently bullied were approximately twice as likely to have depression (odds ratio [OR] = 2.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.33-3.51; P , .001), self-harm (OR = 2.56; 95% CI, 1.63-4.02; P , .001), and anxiety (OR = 1.83; 95% CI, 1.19-2.81; P , .001) as children who were not bullied by siblings. The ORs were only slightly attenuated after adjustment for a range of confounding individual, family, and peer factors. The population-attributable fractions suggested that 13.0% (95% CI, 1.0%-24.7%) of depression and 19.3% (95% CI, 7.6%-29.6%) of self-harm could be explained by being the victim of sibling bullying if these were causal relationships. CONCLUSIONS:Being bullied by a sibling is a potential risk factor for depression and self-harm in early adulthood. Our results suggest that interventions designed to target sibling bullying should be devised and evaluated.

Bullying and mental health - the risk factors and legacy

“…Among 786 children who reported bullying by a sibling several times a week, 12.3% had depression, 16.0% anxiety and 14.1% had self-harmed. 3 Children frequently bullied by siblings when they were 12 years old were more likely to have depression (odds ratio [OR] 2.16), self-harm (OR 2.56) and experience anxiety (OR 1.83) when they were 18 years old than controls. Assuming the relationship is causal, sibling bullying could account for 13.0% of cases of depression and 19.3% of cases of self-harm.…”

“…Assuming the relationship is causal, sibling bullying could account for 13.0% of cases of depression and 19.3% of cases of self-harm. 3 Sibling relationships, unlike peer groups, tend to endure through a child's development and there are few opportunities to escape. Again, victims of sibling bullying are more likely to be bullied by their peers.…”

“…Yet, the authors note, 'sibling bullying is neglected by researchers, clinicians and policy makers'. 3 Cyberbullying…”

Estudo da validade de construto das Revised Conflict Tactics Scales – Versão Irmãos

“…Assim, verificam-se frequentemente problemas de baixa autoestima (Wiehe, 1998), ansiedade (Caffaro & ConnCaffaro, 1998), depressão e automutilação em jovens adultos (Bowes, Wolke, Joinson, Lereya, & Lewis, 2014), comportamentos delinquentes (Button & Gealt, 2014), entre outros.…”

Innovation, engagement, and the evaluation of a parenting intervention for improving sibling relationships

“…Sibling relationships marked by elevated levels of conflict and hostility can result in a myriad of troublesome longer term consequences including conduct problems, delinquent behaviour (Bank, Patterson, & Reid, 1996;Criss & Shaw, 2005), and other externalising and internalising problems such as depression, anxiety, and self-harm (Buist, Deković, & Prinzie, 2013;Kim, McHale, Crouter, & Osgood, 2007;Tucker, Finkelhor, Turner, & Shattuck, 2013). Bowes, Wolke, Joinson, Lereya, and Lewis (2014) demonstrated that being bullied by a sibling doubles the risk of depression and self-harm at 18 years of age. Wayward or dysfunctional sibling relationships, therefore, can serve as a precursor to individuals setting sail on a problematic developmental trajectory.…”