Bullying changes teenagers’ brains and likely increases the risk of psychosis

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Being bullied is not only annoying, the brains of teenagers who are bullied also change. But there is also good news: seeking help appears to have a protective effect.

It is well known that bullying has a major impact on the well-being of children. Children who are bullied show more symptoms of depression, have lower self-esteem and being bullied can lead to social anxiety. Persistent bullying even has long-lasting consequences for overall health, including physical health. New research from Tokyo now suggests that bullying behavior carries another important consequence for the victim: an increased risk of psychotic disorders.

The researchers found that bullying victims have lower levels of the important neurotransmitter ‘glutamate’ in a brain region involved in regulating emotions, the so-called ‘anterior cingulate cortex’ (ACC). Glutamate is the most abundant neurotransmitter in the brain and is involved in a wide range of functions, including learning, memory and mood. It is striking that this reduced amount of glutamate in this specific brain area is also seen in people who suffer from psychoses. And so the researchers decided to delve further into this.

Brain measurements
To do this, they examined around 250 participants with an average age of 12 years. They asked them if they were being bullied and if so whether they wanted to seek help for this. They also performed brain measurements with magnetic resonance spectroscopy, a technique to display the structure and function of the brain. After two years, the researchers asked the questions again and measured glutamate levels again. This allowed them to assess changes over time and compare them to new experiences with bullying or the lack thereof.

Protection against the effects of bullying
It showed that children who were bullied had lower glumate levels in their ACC than children who were not bullied. Furthermore, those who were bullied and did not seek help had even lower glutamate levels than those who were bullied and did seek help. According to the researchers, this shows two things. It suggests, on the one hand, that being bullied increases the risk of psychotic disorders, and on the other hand, that seeking help may be a protective factor against the negative effects of bullying on the brain.

Psychoses
Psychosis is a mental state in which a person loses touch with reality. Someone who is in psychosis often has incoherent stories and behaves abnormally. There are usually also hallucinations and delusions present that you also see in psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. People who have treatable schizophrenia, or are experiencing psychosis for the first time, have the same low levels of glutamate in the ACC regions as the participants who were bullied.

Antipestprogramma’s
“Anti-bullying programs in schools are therefore very important,” says lead author Naohiro Okada. “The main task of these is to stimulate positive social interactions and reduce aggressive behavior.” In addition, the researcher believes it is important to provide support and resources to bullied adolescents, such as counseling services, peer support groups and other mental health resources.

“We therefore hope that our findings contribute to the development of effective prevention and intervention strategies against both bullying and psychosis. After all, both are major problems for public health and the well-being of young people.” This is especially important for younger children, according to Okada. “I think being bullied for young children can have dangerous consequences for their healthy brain development and psychological well-being.”

Cannot be translated one to one
However, being bullied does not directly equate to developing psychoses, Okada qualifies. First of all, psychotic disorders are only diagnosed after several criteria are met. And moreover, that diagnosis must be made by experienced psychiatrists. Something that was not discussed during the investigation. “In our study, the degree of subclinical psychotic experiences was assessed using four self-administered questions.”

Still, the research provides ample evidence that being bullied can have an impact on the brains of adolescents, Okada says. “It can affect their emotional regulation and their susceptibility to psychotic experiences.” The scientists did not expect it to this extent, the researcher says. “The phenomenon that bullying victimization can at least partially cause psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia through neurochemical changes has surprised us.” Okada therefore emphasizes the importance of seeking help when being bullied. “But adolescents who have been bullied do not have to worry too much,” he reassures.