Barbara Geller, MD

Altered levels of the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein are associated with cumulative exposure to bullying.

Media coverage of viral cyberbullying and longitudinal data on psychopathological outcomes of bullying (NEJM JW Psychiatry Mar 11 2013) have spurred researchers' interest in biological correlates.

These investigators examined C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammatory marker associated with both impaired mental and physical health, in 1334 individuals with at least one annual follow-up that included blood CRP testing (mean, 5) and a comprehensive psychopathology interview. There were 1309 participants with follow-ups during ages 9 to 16 and 759 participants with follow-ups during ages 19 to 21.

Models controlled for numerous demographic, mental and physical health, and family history variables. In both groups, cumulative exposure to victimization (i.e., visits at which victimization was reported) was associated with progressively increased levels of CRP levels compared with no bullying involvement. In the older group, cumulative reports of being the bully were significantly associated with progressively decreased CRP levels, and exposure to both perpetration and victimization were associated with CRP levels intermediate between those in pure victims and pure bullies.

Citation(s):

Copeland WE et al. Childhood bullying involvement predicts low-grade systemic inflammation into adulthood. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014 May 12.