The indirect effect of bullying on adolescent self-rated health through mental health: A gender specific pattern

Abstract Introduction Bullying is a prevalent concern among adolescents and causes great mental/behavioral consequences. In addition to the direct association between bullying victimization and adolescent physical health (measured by self-rated health), this study investigates the indirect effect of mental health and the moderating role of gender to such relationship. Methods Study participants comprised a national sample of adolescents ( n  = 3435) aged 15 to 16 years old in the United States. Results Structural equation modeling analyses showed that, in addition to the main effect of bullying on adolescents physical health, (based on joint significance test) mental health has an indirect effect on and gender moderates the relationship between bullying victimization and adolescents' self-rated health. Conclusions Bullying has negative impact on adolescent health. Prevention and intervention programs need to take into account the critical roles of gender and mental health in addressing the negative consequences of bullying victimization.