The Impact of Social and Physical Peer Victimization on Systemic Inflammation in Adolescents

Depressive symptoms, somatic complaints, and circulating levels of inflammatory biomarkers interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were examined as correlates of social and physical peer victimization in an ethnically diverse sample of adolescents (N = 91) using a multi-informant approach....

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Bibliographic Details
Published inMerrill-Palmer Quarterly Vol. 64; no. 1; pp. 12 - 40
Main Authors Arana, Allyson A, Boyd, Erin Q, Guarneri-White, Maria, Iyer-Eimerbrink, Priya, Dougall, Angela Liegey, Jensen-Campbell, Lauri
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Detroit Wayne State University Press 01.01.2018
Subjects
Adolescents
Aggression
Biomarkers
Body Composition
Bullying
Children & youth
Cytokines
Depression (Psychology)
Dopamine
Grade 10
Grade 11
Grade 12
Grade 8
Grade 9
Inflammation
Mental depression
Mental Health
Metabolism
Obesity
Peer Relationship
Peers
Physical Health
Physiology
Predictor Variables
Proteins
Secondary School Students
Signal transduction
Stress
Stress Variables
Symptoms (Individual Disorders)
Teenagers
Victimization
Victims
Texas (Fort Worth)
Texas (Dallas)
United States > US
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Summary:Depressive symptoms, somatic complaints, and circulating levels of inflammatory biomarkers interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were examined as correlates of social and physical peer victimization in an ethnically diverse sample of adolescents (N = 91) using a multi-informant approach. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that social peer victimization was associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms, somatic complaints, and inflammation. However, being physically bullied only predicted lower levels of inflammatory markers. Additionally, the role of depressive symptoms in the victimization–inflammation relation was examined. Social victimization indirectly influenced levels of IL-6 (via depressive symptoms) and CRP (via depressive symptoms and IL-6, in series). These results provide initial evidence that peer victimization is associated with inflammatory markers in an adolescent sample and that symptoms of depression may be an important presage to inflammation and health problems, while highlighting the differential effects of social and physical forms of peer victimization.
ISSN:0272-930X
1535-0266
DOI:10.13110/merrpalmquar1982.64.1.0012