Cyberbullying: The inextricable link between mental and physical health

Have you heard of psychosomatic health? It is a fact that physical and mental health are inextricably linked and often a problem in one can manifest as a symptom in the other. The power of psychology in the human body is extremely powerful.

Cyberbullying is more prevalent than most people think, and it has negatively impacted mostly on youth and adolescent children. The World Health Organization, notes that 13% of mental health disorders stem from adolescents.

According to a new study from the University of Calgary, there is a strong correlation between bullying incidents, regular headaches and suicidal tendencies. Specifically,  those diagnosed with mood disorders were 50% more likely to have frequent headaches and those with anxiety disorders were 74% more likely.

In addition, the research points out that 34% of adolescents with frequent headaches reported that they were victims of indirect bullying/cyberbullying at least once a month and had suicidal thoughts, compared to a 14% who experienced headaches less than once a week.

“The findings of this study are important because they highlight risk factors that can be prevented and treated. At the same time, they highlight the need for effective interventions against incidents of bullying and the early identification and treatment of suicidal tendencies,” says Dr. Serena L. Orr.

Sources:

Nilles C. et al. (2023) “Association Between Peer Victimization, Gender Diversity, Mental Health, and Recurrent Headaches in Adolescents. A Canadian Population-Based Study”, in Neurology,  Vol. 101, No 17, October 24, 2023

WHO (2022), World Mental Health Report: Transforming mental health for all.