The increased risk of cyberbullying and its negative impact on mental health among sexual minority college students compared to their peers.

IF 3.4 3区医学 Q1 PEDIATRICS

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health Pub Date : 2025-04-02 DOI:10.1186/s13034-025-00895-4

Man Luo, Zhizhou Duan, Wenqun Luo, Zhiping Niu

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Backgrounds: This study explores the relationship between cyberbullying, mental health, and sexual minority groups, focusing on the specific impact of cyberbullying on these individuals' mental wellbeing. Previous research has indicated that sexual minorities face higher levels of cyberbullying on social media. Therefore, this study aims to gain deeper insights into the mental health consequences and potential mitigating factors for this vulnerable population.

Methods: We employed a questionnaire survey method and convenience sampling to collect data. Participants' psychosocial traits were assessed using established scales measuring stress, anxiety, depression, cyberbullying, loneliness, and sleep quality. Data analysis included Propensity Score Matching (PSM) and causal mediation analysis.

Results: Of the participants, 204 identified as belonging to sexual minority groups, constituting 7.1% of the overall sample. The correlation results indicated that individuals in the sexual minority group experienced higher levels of cyberbullying (r = 0.276, p < 0.001). Cyberbullying was found to partially mediate the relationship between sexual minority status and several mental health issues, including depressive symptoms (0.32, 95% CI 0.19-0.53; P < 0.001), anxiety symptoms (0.52, 95% CI 0.30-0.88; P < 0.001), and loneliness (0.40, 95% CI 0.23-0.69; P < 0.001). Additionally, cyberbullying fully mediated the relationship between sexual minority status and both stress and sleep quality.

Conclusion: These findings highlight that cyberbullying serves as a significant mediator in the mental health challenges faced by sexual minorities.

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来源期刊

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health PEDIATRICSPSYCHIATRY-PSYCHIATRY

CiteScore

7.00

自引率

3.60%

发文量

审稿时长

16 weeks

期刊介绍： Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, the official journal of the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions, is an open access, online journal that provides an international platform for rapid and comprehensive scientific communication on child and adolescent mental health across different cultural backgrounds. CAPMH serves as a scientifically rigorous and broadly open forum for both interdisciplinary and cross-cultural exchange of research information, involving psychiatrists, paediatricians, psychologists, neuroscientists, and allied disciplines. The journal focusses on improving the knowledge base for the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of mental health conditions in children and adolescents, and aims to integrate basic science, clinical research and the practical implementation of research findings. In addition, aspects which are still underrepresented in the traditional journals such as neurobiology and neuropsychology of psychiatric disorders in childhood and adolescence are considered.