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BACKGROUND: Exercise reduces the odds of sadness and suicidality in bullied students, but the role of the bullying environment on this relationship remains unknown. METHODS: Using combined data from the 2013 and 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (N = 29,207), adjusted logistic regression models estimated odds ratios between exercise, sadness, and suicidal ideation and attempt, stratified by bullying exposure (electronically/at school). RESULTS: Overall, 40.2% of students bullied at school and 48.3% of students bullied electronically reported feeling sad, compared to 22.6% of those not bullied. Bullied students were 2–3 times more likely to report suicidal ideation, and 3–4 times more likely to report suicidal attempt, regardless of bullying context. Students who were bullied at school and exercised 4–7 days per week had lower odds of sadness (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.51–0.81), suicidal ideation (AOR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.53–82), and suicidal attempt (AOR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.48–0.98) compared to those who exercised 0–3 days. There were no protective effects of exercise for students bullied electronically. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise reduced sadness and suicidality in adolescents bullied at school but not for students who were cyberbullied. Bullying environment should be a primary consideration in school mental health treatment and maintenance paradigms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Oppositional defiant disorder ( ODD) has components of both irritability and defiance. It remains unclear whether children with variation in these domains have different adult outcomes. This study examined the concurrent and predictive validity of classes of oppositional defiant behavior. Methods Latent class analysis was performed on the oppositional defiant problems scale of the Child Behavior Checklist in two samples, one in the US (the Achenbach Normative Sample, N = 2029) and one in the Netherlands (the Zuid-Holland Study, N = 2076). A third sample of American children (The Vermont Family Study, N = 399) was examined to determine concurrent validity with DSM diagnoses. Predictive validity over 14 years was assessed using the Zuid-Holland Study. Results Four classes of oppositional defiant problems were consistent in the two latent class analyses: No Symptoms, All Symptoms, Irritable, and Defiant. Individuals in the No Symptoms Class were rarely diagnosed concurrently with ODD or any future disorder. Individuals in the All Symptoms Class had an increased frequency of concurrent childhood diagnosis of ODD and of violence in adulthood. Subjects in the Irritable Class had low concurrent diagnosis of ODD, but increased odds of adult mood disorders. Individuals in the Defiant Class had low concurrent diagnosis of ODD, but had increased odds of violence as adults. Conclusions Only children in the All Symptoms class were likely to have a concurrent diagnosis of ODD. Although not diagnosed with ODD, children in the Irritable Class were more likely to have adult mood disorders and children in the Defiant Class were more likely to engage in violent behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The consequences of bullying are well described, yet little is known about protective factors that may diminish the negative sequelae. One possible factor, physical activity (PA), improves mental health in general and clinical populations. The purpose of this study is to examine relationships among PA, sadness, and suicidality in bullied US adolescents. We hypothesized that physically active students would be less likely to feel sad or to report suicidal ideation or attempts, including bullied students.Method: Using the 2013 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (N = 13,583), regression models adjusted for age, sex, and race estimated the odds ratios among PA, sadness, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts, stratified by whether students were bullied.Results: Overall, 30.0% of students reported sadness for 2 or more weeks, 22.2% reported suicidal ideation, and 8.2% reported suicide attempt in the previous 12 months. Bullied students were twice as likely to report feeling sad and 3 times as likely to report suicidal ideation or attempt. Students who reported exercising 4 to 5 days a week had lower adjusted odds of sadness, suicidal ideation, or suicide attempts than students who exercised 0 to 1 day a week (p ≤ .0001). After stratifying by bullying, similar but attenuated associations were observed. Overall, exercise for 4 or more days per week was associated with an approximate 23% reduction in suicidal ideation and attempt in bullied students.Conclusion: PA is inversely related to sadness and suicidality in adolescents, highlighting the relationship between PA and mental health in children, and potentially implicating PA as a salient option in the response to bullying in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]