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Cited by 153Bullying, Victimization, and AggressionSuicide and Self-Harm StudiesImpact of Technology on Adolescents

The effects of cyberbullying victimization on depression and suicidal ideation among adolescents and young adults: a three year cohort study from India

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Maurya, Chanda, Muhammad, T., Dhillon, Preeti, Maurya, Priya·2022·BMC Psychiatry
DOI 10.1186/s12888-022-04238-xPMC PMC9461154
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Abstract

Background: Cyberbullying victimisation is considered a global public health issue concerning the psychological development of adolescents that oftentimes persists into adulthood. The current study explored the longitudinal relationship between cyberbullying victimisation and depression and suicidal ideation among adolescents and young adults, given the scarcity of such studies in poor-resource settings like India. Methods: Data were drawn from the “Understanding the Lives of Adolescents and Young Adults” (UDAYA- 2015-16 and 2018–19) surveys conducted in two most-populated Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Bivariate and logistic regression analysis was conducted to fulfil the objectives of the study using a sample of 4428 and 11,864 adolescent (aged 10–19 years) male and female cohorts, respectively. Results: The prevalence of cyberbullying victimization increased from 3.8% to 6.4% among female respondents and 1.9% to 5.6% among male respondents over three years. About 33% of females and 16.6% of males had depressive symptoms in their young adulthood. Nearly 7.5% females compared to 2.3% of males, reported that they have seriously considered attempting suicide in the past one year. Adolscents who experienced cyberbullying victimization were 2.07 times more likely to have depressive symptoms comapared to those who did not experience cyberbullying victimization. Similarly, adolescents who experienced cyberbullying victimization were 2.50 times more likely to have suicidal ideation than their counterparts with no experience of cyberbullying victimization. Conclusion: The findings suggest that cyberbullying victims are at higher risk of depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts and these adverse effects persist for longer period. Therefore, cyberbullying and related mental health problems need to be addressed with more efficient strategies such as increased awareness of nuances of online harassments among adolescent and young adult population.

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  • Victims often experience isolation and negative emotions, leading to hopelessness and depression, which are linked to self-harm and suicidal ideation.

    “Victims often experience isolation and negative emotions69, leading to hopelessness and depression145, which are, in turn, linked to self-harm and suicidal ideation149.”

    From Umbrella review of meta-analyses on the risk factors, protective factors, consequences and interventions of cyberbullying victimization (2024) · cites this paper as [149]

    The Discussion (page unavailable) identifies baseline depression as a risk factor for later suicidal thoughts, supporting that part of the cited clause. The Introduction (page unavailable) links self-harm to cyberbullying victimization, but does not establish the claimed link between depression and self-harm. (LLM, conf=0.82)

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  • Cyberbullying can lead to anxiety, depression, and, in extreme cases, suicidal thoughts among children.

    “Cyberbullying can lead to anxiety, depression, and, in extreme cases, suicidal thoughts among children (Martínez-Monteagudo et al., 2020; Maurya et al., 2022);”

    From Virtual Reality Risks for Children in the Metaverse: An Examination through Criminological Perspectives (2026) · cites this paper as Maurya et al., 2022

    The Introduction (page unavailable) says cyberbullied adolescents are at greater risk of depression and suicidal ideation, and the paper’s findings address those outcomes. It does not establish anxiety as an outcome of cyberbullying; the Discussion mentions anxiety only in connection with violent behaviour. The study concerns adolescents and young adults, rather than children generally. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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  • Experiences of online harassment and victimisation have been associated with poorer psychological outcomes among some young people, including elevated distress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms.

    “Experiences of online harassment and victimisation have been associated with poorer psychological outcomes among some young people, including elevated distress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms [27, 28].”

    From The Complex and Multifaceted Nature of Social Media: Perspectives From Young Adolescents, Parents and Experts (2026) · cites this paper as [28]

    The Introduction (page unavailable) links cyberbullying victimization to poorer mental health, including depression, and the paper’s Results report higher likelihood of depressive symptoms among victims. The cited paper does not report elevated anxiety or distress as outcomes of cyberbullying victimization, so those specific parts of the claim are not supported by this source. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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  • Social media was identified as a complex and multifaceted tool, offering opportunities for connection, education, and identity exploration, while also highlighting concerns relating to misinformation, social comparison, online victimisation and highly immersive or difficult-to-disengage-from forms of engagement.

    “Consistent with previous research (e.g., [4]), social media was identifed as a complex and multifaceted tool, ofering opportunities for connection, education, and identity exploration [19, 55, 56], while also highlighting concerns relating to misinformation, social comparison, online victimisation and highly immersive or difcult-to-disengage-from forms of engagement [24, 25, 28, 57].”

    From The Complex and Multifaceted Nature of Social Media: Perspectives From Young Adolescents, Parents and Experts (2026) · cites this paper as [28]

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  • Individuals who are bullied typically have lower levels of self-esteem compared to those who are not victimized.

    “Research consistently reveals that individuals who are bullied typically have lower levels of self-esteem compared to those who are not victimized [34, 96].”

    From How social media usage affects psychological and subjective well-being: testing a moderated mediation model (2023) · cites this paper as [96]

    The Introduction (page not specified in our copy) reports that adolescents who are cyberbullied are at greater risk of lower self-esteem, and its conceptual framework links cyberbullying to low self-esteem. This supports the association, but the cited paper addresses adolescent cyberbullying rather than bullying among individuals generally; its reported cohort results do not directly compare victims’ and nonvictims’ self-esteem. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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Authors
Maurya, C., Muhammad, T., Dhillon, P., & Maurya, P.
Affiliations
International Institute for Population Sciences (IN)
Corresponding author
Maurya, Priya
ORCID
Venue
BMC Psychiatry
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2022-09-09
Volume
22
Issue
1
Pages
599-599
ISSN
1471-244X (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1186/s12888-022-04238-x
PMC
PMC9461154
OpenAlex
W4295008754
Cited by
153
References
64
Citations by year
2026: 42 · 2025: 45 · 2024: 42 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 1
FWCI
26.22
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • BMC Psychiatry (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Greater South Information System
Funders
  • David and Lucile Packard Foundation
  • Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
Keywords
cyber victimization, depression, suicidal ideation, adolescents, young adults, gender differences, longitudinal effects, online harassment, adolescent mental health, India
MeSH terms
Cyberbullying, Adolescent, Adult, Depression, Female, Humans, Male, Cohort Studies, Crime Victims, Young Adult, Suicidal Ideation

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