Associations Between Non-physical Bullying Victimization, Sleep Quality, Anxiety, and Depression in Adolescents

Strategic Insights -

A study published in Current Psychology has revealed the longitudinal associations between non-physical bullying victimization, sleep quality, anxiety, and depression in adolescents. The research, conducted by a team from Shenzhen University, used a sample of 623 adolescents from a middle school in China and found that non-physical bullying victimization at an earlier time point significantly predicted poorer sleep quality, anxiety, and depression at a later time point. Conversely, adolescents with sleep problems were more likely to experience non-physical bullying and have higher levels of anxiety and depression.

Key Takeaways:

  • Non-physical bullying victimization poses a significant threat to the mental health of adolescents, often overlooked by teachers due to its covert nature.
  • The study examined the longitudinal associations between non-physical bullying victimization, sleep quality, and anxiety/depression in adolescents using cross-lagged analyses with a one-year interval.
  • The research found that non-physical bullying victimization at an earlier time point significantly predicted poorer sleep quality, anxiety, and depression at a later time point.
  • Sleep quality at an earlier time point significantly predicted non-physical bullying victimization, anxiety, and depression at a later time point.
  • Adolescents who experience non-physical bullying subsequently have poorer sleep quality and higher levels of anxiety and depression.
  • The study suggests that addressing sleep quality and bullying in adolescents is crucial for mitigating mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.
  • The research highlights the importance of teachers and educators being aware of non-physical bullying and its effects on adolescents' mental health.
  • The study's findings have implications for the development of interventions aimed at reducing non-physical bullying and improving sleep quality in adolescents.

Statistics:

  • 623 adolescents (M = 13.0 years; 52.5% were boys) participated in the study.
  • The two-time-point longitudinal design examined the associations between non-physical bullying victimization, sleep quality, anxiety, and depression over a one-year period.
  • Non-physical bullying victimization at Time 1 (October 2021) significantly predicted poorer sleep quality (β = 0.12, p < 0.001), anxiety (β = 0.15, p < 0.001), and depression (β = 0.10, p < 0.01) at Time 2 (October 2022).
  • Sleep quality at Time 1 significantly predicted non-physical bullying victimization (β = 0.13, p < 0.01), anxiety (β = 0.17, p < 0.001), and depression (β = 0.12, p < 0.05) at Time 2.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Researchers' Work from Shenzhen University Focuses on Anxiety Disorders (Associations Between Non-physical Bullying Victimization, Sleep Quality, Anxiety, and Depression In Adolescents: a Cross-lagged Study). Mental Health Weekly Digest. October 20, 2025; p 1017.
  • Xiaoqing Li, Ruojia Li, Jianfeng Xie, Xinran Hu, Jinxiu Long, Yuran Sun, and Liechuan Zhang. Associations Between Non-physical Bullying Victimization, Sleep Quality, Anxiety, and Depression In Adolescents: a Cross-lagged Study. Current Psychology, 2025.