Investigating the Mediating Role of Psychological Distress in the Relationship between Cyberbullying Victimization and Adolescent Suicide Risk: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Background/Purpose: Cyberbullying has emerged as a serious social concern, particularly among adolescents. Exposure to cyberbullying has been shown to be correlated with many adverse outcomes among adolescents. This study aims to explore the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and suicide risk and to assess the potential mediating effects of psychological distress among adolescents. This study also seeks to rigorously assess the measurement models ensuring the validity and reliability of the instruments, given the complex nature of adolescents’ psychological distress and suicide risk.

Methods: Data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) 2021 was analyzed to investigate the relationship between cyberbullying victimization, psychological distress, and suicide risk among adolescents. The study sample comprised 12,837 adolescents, and the analysis utilized the Mplus software. By employing confirmatory factor analysis, the underlying structure of these latent constructs was validated. Two latent variables were constructed: suicide risk (SR) and psychological distress (PD). SR was indicated by suicidal ideation and suicide plan, while PD was indicated by feelings of sadness or hopelessness, poor mental health (depression and anxiety), and difficulty concentrating. A structural equation model (SEM) with weighted least squares mean and variance estimation was employed. Bootstrap resampling was used to assess the robustness of parameter estimates.

Results: The SEM analysis revealed a good fit to the data: χ²(7) = 79.137, p < 0.001; RMSEA = 0.028 (90% CI [0.023, 0.034]); CFI = 0.998; TLI = 0.996. SR latent variable was significantly associated with both suicidal ideation (β = 0.976, p < 0.001) and suicide plan (β = 0.915, p < 0.001). Similarly, the PD latent variable exhibited significant associations with feelings of sadness or hopelessness (β = 0.928, p < 0.001), poor mental health (β = 0.712, p < 0.001), and difficulty concentrating (β = 0.602, p < 0.001). Additionally, cyberbullying victimization showed a significant indirect effect on SR (β = 0.272, p < 0.001) through PD. The direct effect of cyberbullying victimization on SR was also significant (β = 0.044, p < 0.001). These findings suggest that cyberbullying victimization is associated with an increased risk of suicidal ideation and suicide planning, partially mediated by psychological distress.

Conclusions/Implications: This study used a large national sample of U.S. adolescents to examine the impact of cyberbullying victimization on their psychological distress and suicide risk. Since the data this study utilized was collected during the pandemic, this study suggests representative examination and insight into the impact of cyberbullying on adolescents in the context of the pandemic. The intricate relationship between cyberbullying victimization, psychological distress, and suicide risk among adolescents underscores the necessity for comprehensive interventions and support programs. Targeting psychological distress directly can potentially alleviate the detrimental impacts of cyberbullying on adolescent suicide risk. Given the crucial developmental stage of adolescence and its susceptibility to long-term effects, addressing psychological distress becomes paramount in safeguarding mental well-being and overall development. Therefore, proactive measures aimed at intervention and prevention of cyberbullying are imperative, especially in light of the concerning findings regarding suicide risk.