School Bullying and Adolescent Mental Health: A Cross-Sectional Study
https://doi.org/10.53770/medica.v8i10.1199
Keywords
Adolescent Mental HealthAbstract
Adolescence is a vulnerable period for psychological distress, and bullying is an important school-based stressor. This study aimed to determine the association between school bullying and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) symptom status among Grade X and XI students at SMA Negeri 4 Palu, Indonesia. A cross-sectional design was used with 88 students selected using proportional random sampling. Bullying was measured using a 22-item questionnaire, and mental health status was assessed using the DASS-21. For the primary analysis, DASS-21 status was dichotomized as normal (all three subscales in the normal range) versus elevated symptoms (at least one subscale in the mild or higher range). The results showed that 20 of 88 students (22.7%) had a bullying score >24, and 35 of 88 (39.8%) had elevated DASS-21 symptoms, predominantly in the anxiety domain. Elevated symptoms were present in 17 of 20 students (85.0%) with bullying scores >24 compared with 18 of 68 (26.5%) with scores ≤24. The crude odds ratio (OR) was 15.74 (95% CI: 4.12–60.14), and the association remained strong after adjustment for sex and grade (adjusted OR = 18.92, 95% CI: 4.59–78.09; p < 0.001). In a sensitivity analysis, each one-point increase in total bullying score was associated with higher odds of elevated symptoms (adjusted OR = 2.10, 95% CI: 1.42–3.10). School bullying was strongly associated with poorer adolescent mental health, particularly anxiety-related symptoms. Although causality cannot be inferred from this cross-sectional design, the findings support integrating bullying prevention, early psychosocial screening, and accessible counseling in schools.
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