Biopsychological mediation factor between adolescent bullying victimization and hallucinatory experiencees: a large-scale birth cohort study

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H03745
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Clinical psychology
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science
• Principal Investigator: YAMASAKI Syudo 公益財団法人東京都医学総合研究所, 精神行動医学研究分野, 主席研究員 (10447401)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 精神病症状 / 思春期 / ストレス / バイオマーカー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Child and adolescent bullying victimization increases the risk of experiencing hallucinatory experiences in later life. It is theoretically suggested that bullying victimization leads to hallucinatory experiences through dissociative symptoms. However, the empirical data are scarce and the biological basis is still unclear. In this study, using the large-scale adolescent longitudinal cohort data (N=3000 or more), we investigated (1) dissociation symptoms mediate between bullying victimization and hallucinatory experiences, and (2) stress hormone metabolism as the basis of dissociation symptoms.
We confirmed the mediating process of dissociative symptoms between bullying victimization and hallucinatory experiences.We also found the metabolites which related the dissociation. The results of this study suggested that the traumatic stress caused by adolescent bullying would lead dissociation symptoms, and as a result, the bio-psychological basis leading to hallucinatory experiences.

Free Research Field

臨床心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究を通じて，①いじめ被害と幻覚様体験の間を，解離が媒介することを，大規模思春期縦断コホートデータから確認した．加えて，②解離症状の基盤として，ストレスホルモン代謝と関連の強い代謝産物の存在が見出された．本研究の結果から，いじめ被害などの強いストレスによるトラウマ体験により，解離症状が引き起こされ，その結果幻覚様体験につながる一連の心理的プロセスが示唆された．解離症状の生物学的基盤として，ストレスホルモン代謝の中枢である視床下部－下垂体－副腎皮質系（HPA 系）が関わる可能性が，本研究のデータからも示唆された．