A systematic review and empirical investigation: bullying victimisation and anxiety subtypes among adolescents

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective Bullying victimisation is well known to be associated with social anxiety disorder and generalised anxiety disorder among adolescents. Study 1 reports on a systematic review to examine these relationships. Study 2 employed a survey to investigate the relationship between overt, reputational, and relational bullying with self-endorsement of social anxiety disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Method Study 1 consists of a systematic review of the literature published between 2011 and 2021. Multiple sources were used to identify potentially eligible studies using keywords in varying combinations and the PRISMA guidelines were followed. The quality of included studies was assessed using a critical appraisal tool. Study 2 collected data through an online questionnaire completed by 338 high-school students aged 12–18 years. Results Study 1 demonstrated that bullying victimisation research limits anxiety outcomes to social anxiety disorder and generalised anxiety disorder. Results also demonstrated that overt and covert bullying types are typically not defined. Study 2 found that covert bullying types (reputational and relational) uniquely predicted increased levels of all anxiety subtypes, while overt bullying did not. Relational bullying was the best predictor of all anxiety subtypes, except obsessive-compulsive disorder. Conclusion These results suggest the need to consider different types of bullying and the need to assess anxiety subtype symptoms more broadly. KEY POINTS What is already known about the topic: Bullying-victimisation is associated with social anxiety disorder and general anxiety disorder among adolescents. Previous research has identified three bullying victimisation subtypes; overt, and two covert types being reputational and relational. Covert bullying victimisation is more strongly related to depression and social anxiety symptomology than overt. What this topic adds: Overt bullying victimisation does not predict self-endorsement of generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Covert bullying victimisation predicts separation anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Subtypes of bullying victimisation demonstrate unique relationships with a range of anxiety disorder symptomology beyond that of generalised anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder.