Geçmişteki akran zorbaliğinin geç ergenlik dönemindeki benlik saygisi, duygu düzenleme ve psikopatolojiye etki̇si

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of past history of peer bullying on current psychiatric diagnosis, self-esteem, sense of identity, emotion regulation and attachment. The study included 100 medical students at Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, between 18-24 years of age. Informed consent was obtained from the participants. Sociodemographic and Clinical Data Form was completed by the researcher. Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale, Assessment of Identity Development in Adolescence, Brief Symptom Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, Relationship Scales Questionnaire- Adolescent Form and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale were given to the participants. Psychiatric evaluations of the participants were performed by the clinician using the SCID-5-CV. 40% of the students reported that they were involved in bullying either as a bully, victim or bully-victim. Accordingly, the sample data was analyzed between the two groups, those involved in bullying and those not involved in bullying, comparisons were made in terms of psychiatric diagnosis, identity diffusion, self-esteem, emotion regulation, and attachment. The group involved in peer bullying had lower self- esteem, higher rate of insecure attachment, higher rate of emotion regulation difficulties, higher rate of anxiety disorder diagnosis, higher rate of identity diffusion compared to the group not involved in bullying. Peer bullying was found to predict low self-esteem, insecure attachment, identity diffusion and anxiety disorder diagnosis in late adolescence. Key words: Peer bullying, self esteem, emotion regulation, identity diffusion, attachment patterns, psychiatric diagnosis