Posted by Racer on February 3, 2004, at 21:18:12
In reply to Social anxiety and bullying, posted by fogmama on February 3, 2004, at 17:10:57
Another former bullying target, so this is my take on it:
On the one hand, social anxiety is worsened by the bullying, but I think the bullies pick out those of us who are most likely to be easy targets. So, yes, the bullying does have long term consequences, in that we're more likely to end up with depression or SA, but no, I don't think it is the root cause of those disorders.
There was a study done in New Zealand last year, that found a genetic link to depression. The study showed that individuals with one form of a specific gene were much more likely to suffer depression after stressful events. People without that form of the gene were not prone to depression, despite equally stressful events, so the study seems to show a pretty strong correlation between this genetic form and depression.
The investigator, though, emphasized this point: she herself had the genetic tendency towards depression, but had never experience such a state. She attributed that fact to a lack of the sort of triggering stress that had brought on depression in other study subjects.
In other words, luck of the genetic draw in being at risk for depression, luck of the environmental draw in being subject to the triggers. Those of us who are genetically predisposed to depression AND have stressors in early life that might trigger depression are probably more likely to be bullied, and more likely to experience that bullying as a trigger to deeper depression.
There, that's my thinking on the subject. Hope it helps.
poster:Racer
thread:308985
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20040131/msgs/309093.html