Prevalence and Trends of Depression among Cyberbullied Adolescents - Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2011 – 2019 Jason Nicholson, University of West Georgia

Abstract

The difference in depression between non-cyberbullied and cyberbullied youth is not well understood. To describe the prevalence and trends in depression among cyberbullied adolescents. Using cross-sectional, nationally-representative data from the YRBS 2011 - 2019, we estimated the prevalence and trends of depression across the total years and within cyberbullied groups that include biological sex and race and ethnicity among adolescents. The results indicated the prevalence of depression was higher among those that were cyberbullied. Within the cyberbullied groups the total trend was higher than the non-cyberbullied, females had a higher prevalence of depression than males, and Hispanics had a higher prevalence of depression than blacks. Further, the results showed the trends for cyberbullied, males, females, whites, and blacks had significant linear increases, but Hispanics remained stable. Further, the non-cyberbullied trend was quadratic where there was no change from 2011-2015, but an increase occurred between 2015-2019. Depression is high among adolescents. It appears to be increasing among individuals that are cyberbullied, with the exception of Hispanics. These results are discussed with programming recommendations.