Lay Summary

This study aims to determine whether psychosocial factors may reduce the impact of individual victimization, poly-victimization, and repeated victimization on subsequent development of adverse mental health outcomes in adolescence using a prospective UK birth cohort. Results are forthcoming. This research has implications for public health policy decisions on youth mental health promotion programs.

Background

Victimization, defined as being individually singled out and subjected to cruel and unjust treatment, is a pressing public health concern, due to the associated risk of developing an array of adverse mental health outcomes. Victimization is most commonly experienced in adolescence, and those who are victimized typically experience multiple forms of victimization, also known as poly-victimization. These individuals are most at risk of poor psychological adjustment. Still, there are adolescents who experience victimization and do not suffer from psychiatric illness, and this resilience is thought to in part, be explained by psychosocial factors. Longitudinal research is needed to assess this relationship. The present study will use a prospective design to examine the effect of victimization on depression, anxiety, substance misuse, self-harm and attempted suicide in adolescence, and whether positive psychosocial processes (close family and peer relationships, social support, and high self-esteem) protect against development of these adverse mental health outcomes. We will also examine whether these relationships differ by gender.

Methods

This study uses data from the Millennium Cohort Study, a nationally representative prospective longitudinal survey in the UK that began in 2001, and has followed participants since they were 9 months of age. Multivariable regression will be used for analysis. The primary analysis will evaluate the association between self-reported individual and poly-victimization experiences and adverse mental health outcomes at age 17, and whether positive psychosocial factors measured at age 14 moderate those relationships. Secondary analyses will evaluate self-reported and parental-reported psychosocial factors at age 11, self-reported individual/poly-victimization and frequency of victimization experiences at age 14, and adverse mental health outcomes at age 17. An exploratory analysis will be conducted to determine self-reported cause of victimization (racism, sexism, sexual orientation, ageism, disability discrimination, appearance). Covariates in regression models will include sex, gender, race, family income, family composition, and parental mental health.

Results

Results will be forthcoming.

Conclusion

With the majority of adolescents experiencing at least one form of victimization in their youth with consequential negative mental health effects, it is crucial to understand potential protective factors that could facilitate youth resiliency to victimization and further, inform public health policy makers and best practice guidelines for children and youth mental health promotion programs.