The relationship between bullism, depression and suicidal thought in adolescents in albania

INTRODUCTION: The effects of bullying can be both physical and emotional, and they can last for many years. Children that experience verbal and physical bullying are at a greater risk of developing depression later on in life, compared with children who did not. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to look into the relationship between bullying, depressive symptomatology and suicidal thoughts in adolescents of high schools in Lushnje. METHODS: Three questionaires (the Beck Depression Inventory; the Bully/victim Behavior / Victim Behavior Questionnaire by Olweus; the Suicide Questionnaire) were circulated online and were completed by 400 adolescents from 2 high schools in a small city in Albania between September-November 2019. Data has been analysed using the Software Package for Social Sciences for Windows v. 22.0 (SPSS Inc. Chicago, IL). RESULTS: We found significant positive correlation between bullying (victimization) and the level of depression (r (n = 400) =. 300, p≤.05), and significant positive correlation of bullying (cause) with level of depression (r (n = 400) =. 160, p≤.05) but lower than in victimes. The victims of bullying have higher levels of depression and vice versa. We found higher rate of depression in female adolescents with the average (M = 14.710, ds = 11.263) compared to boys with the average (M = 9.609, ds = 10.723). There is an important positive correlation of suicidal ideation with the level of depression (r (n = 400) =. 616, p≤.05). CONCLUSIONS: Being either a bully or a victim of bullying seems to increase the chances of being affected by depression and suicidal thoughts