MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (2/13/2024) — Youth who share similar social positions of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender have much greater levels of emotional distress if they have experienced bias-based bullying — defined as racist, homophobic or transphobic bullying — according to a new study from the University of Minnesota Medical School.
The study, published in Pediatrics , analyzed 2019 Minnesota Student Survey data on more than 80,000 students in grades 9 and 11.
“We hear a lot about mental health disparities affecting minority youth, and a common misinterpretation is that 'those kids' have problems. This study really shows that when kids are harassed or bullied for just being who they are — that's the problem, that's where we need to make changes,” said Marla Eisenberg, ScD, MPH , a professor at the U of M Medical School and faculty with the School of Public Health.
The research team used models to identify rates of depression, anxiety, self-injury, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. They found the level of emotional distress was as much as 60% lower among adolescents with the same social positions but no bias-based bullying experience.
The findings suggest bias-based bullying is a contributing factor to emotional distress among youth with multiple marginalized social positions. The authors suggest bias-based bullying is an important point for intervention and mitigation of mental health disparities, particularly among LGBTQ+ adolescents.
The research team is planning to conduct additional research on ways to prevent bias-based bullying and support diverse youth, particularly through schools and social media.
This research was supported by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities [R01MD015722].
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About the University of Minnesota Medical School
The University of Minnesota Medical School is at the forefront of learning and discovery, transforming medical care and educating the next generation of physicians. Our graduates and faculty produce high-impact biomedical research and advance the practice of medicine. We acknowledge that the U of M Medical School is located on traditional, ancestral and contemporary lands of the Dakota and the Ojibwe, and scores of other Indigenous people, and we affirm our commitment to tribal communities and their sovereignty as we seek to improve and strengthen our relations with tribal nations. For more information about the U of M Medical School, please visit med.umn.edu .
PEDIATRICS
Data/statistical analysis
People
Emotional Distress Disparities Across Multiple Intersecting Social Positions: The Role of Bias-Based Bullying
26-Jan-2024
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