Study Examines Emotional Distress Among Youth Based on Social Position and Bias-based Bullying

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. The study, “Emotional Distress Disparities Across Multiple Intersecting Social Positions: The role of Bias-Based Bullying,” is published in the February 2024 Pediatrics (published online Jan. 26). Researchers analyzed data on 80,246 students in grades 9 and 11 who participated in the 2019 Minnesota Student Survey, using models to identify rates of elevated depression and anxiety symptoms, 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 and no experience of bias-based bullying. 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. 

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.