The Protective Role of Connectedness on Depression and Suicidal Ideation Among Bully Victimized Youth

Abstract

This longitudinal study examined the relationship between connectedness subtypes (family, school, community) and youth depression and suicidal ideation across a 6-month period within a sample of bully victimized youth. Participants were 142 youth (74.6% female, 47.18% African American, 36.62% Caucasian), 12–15 years of age (M = 13.6, SD = 1.12), recruited from an emergency department, who screened positive for elevated levels of bullying victimization and were reevaluated at a 6-month follow-up assessment. Data on bullying victimization, depression, suicidal ideation, and connectedness (family, school, community) were collected at baseline and 6-month follow-up assessments. Separate Bayesian mixed models were used to examine the effects of connectedness (family, school, community) on depression and suicidal ideation while accounting for dependent observations across time points. Prospectively, family and school connectedness were negatively associated with depression and suicidal ideation. Across time points, community connectedness was negatively associated with suicidal ideation. Results highlight the importance of acknowledging and understanding subtypes of interpersonal connectedness among victimized youth as the three subtypes examined (family, school, community) were associated with depression and suicidal ideation. Findings support the importance of bolstering distinct subtypes of connectedness in efforts to improve functioning and attenuate suicide risk among victimized youth.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Tasha Kelley-Stiles, M.S.W., Bianca Burch, M.S.W., and Rachel Moore, M.S.W. for their support with recruitment and data collection, Neera Ghaziuddin, M.D., for risk management assistance, and Deborah Stone and Wendy LiKamWa McIntosh from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for study input. The authors also thank members of the Youth Depression and Suicide Prevention program, our community advisory board, and the families who took part in this study. Study data were collected and managed using REDCap electronic data capture tools hosted at The University of Michigan (CTSA: UL1TR000433).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U01-CE-001940-01). The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.