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The challenges that come with battling a chronic medical conditionor developmental disability are enough to get a young person down.But being left out, ignored or bullied by their peers is the mainreason youths with special health care needs report symptoms of anxiety or depression , according to a study to be presented at the Pediatric AcademicSocieties (PAS) annual meeting in Boston. Being bullied has been shown to increase students' risk foracademic and emotional problems. Little research has been donespecifically on how being a victim of bullying affects youths withspecial needs. In this study, researchers led by Margaret Ellis McKenna, MD,senior fellow in developmental-behavioral pediatrics at MedicalUniversity of South Carolina, investigated the impact of bullying,ostracism and diagnosis of a chronic medical condition on theemotional well-being of youths with special health care needs. Participants ages 8-17 years were recruited from a children'shospital during routine visits with their physicians. A total of109 youths and their parents/guardians completed questionnairesthat screen for symptoms of anxiety and depression. Youths alsocompleted a screening tool that assessed whether they had beenbullied or excluded by their peers. The main categories of youths' diagnoses includedattention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (39 percent), cystic fibrosis (22 percent), type 1 or 2 diabetes (19 percent), sickle cell disease (11 percent), obesity (11 percent), learning disability (11 percent), autism spectrum disorder (9 percent) and short stature (6 percent). Several children had a combination of thesediagnoses. Results of the youths' answers on the questionnaires showed thatbeing bullied and/or ostracized were the strongest predictors ofincreased symptoms of depression or anxiety. When looking at bothparent and child reports, ostracism was the strongest indicator ofthese symptoms. "What is notable about these findings is that despite all the manychallenges these children face in relation to their chronic medicalor developmental diagnosis, being bullied or excluded by theirpeers were the factors most likely to predict whether or not theyreported symptoms of depression," Dr. McKenna said. "Professionals need to be particularly alert in screening for thepresence of being bullied or ostracized in this already vulnerablegroup of students," she added. In addition, schools should have clear policies to prevent andaddress bullying and ostracism, Dr. McKenna suggested, as well asprograms that promote a culture of inclusion and sense of belongingfor all students. Additional References Citations. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as Double Layer Roll Forming Machine Manufacturer , Steel Coils Manufacturer, and more. For more , please visit Double Layer Roll Forming Machine today!
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