Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40095059›Full record

ArticleSocial psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology2025

The effect of peer victimisation on cognitive development in childhood: evidence for mediation via inflammation.

Ellie Roberts, Marta Francesconi, Eirini Flouri

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Ellie RobertsDepartment of Arts and Sciences, University College London, Malet Place, London, NW1 6AP, UK.
Marta FrancesconiDepartment of Psychology and Human Development, Institute of Education, University College London, 20 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AL, UK.
Eirini FlouriDepartment of Psychology and Human Development, Institute of Education, University College London, 20 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AL, UK. e.flouri@ucl.ac.uk.

Funding

Economic and Social Research Council ES/P001742/1Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposePeer victimisation, often a serious childhood stressor, has been associated with poor cognitive outcomes. The current study sought to uncover whether peer victimisation is associated with poor cognitive functioning in childhood via inflammation.

methodsData from 4583 participants in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) were analysed. Path analysis was conducted to determine whether inflammation, measured using IL-6 and CRP levels (age 9), mediates the effects of peer victimisation (age 8), even after controlling for other stressors, on multiple cognitive outcomes, including working memory (age 10), reading (accuracy, speed, and comprehension) (age 9), spelling (age 9), response inhibition (age 10), attentional control (age 11), and selective attention (age 11).

resultsIL-6 and CRP partially mediated the effects of peer victimisation on working memory, reading accuracy, and selective attention. IL-6 partially mediated the effect of peer victimisation on reading comprehension, while CRP partially mediated the effect of peer victimisation on reading speed. All effects were small. Inflammation did not mediate the effects of peer victimisation on spelling, response inhibition or attentional control.

conclusionPeer victimisation may impact on some aspects of children's cognitive functioning via inflammation. The cognitive outcome specificity observed warrants further research.

Indexed as

BullyingChild DevelopmentCognitionC-Reactive ProteinCrime VictimsInflammationInterleukin-6Peer GroupAttentionChildFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMemory, Short-TermReadingC-Reactive ProteinInterleukin-6ALSPACCognitionInflammationPeer victimisationStress

Identifiers

PMID40095059
PMCPMC12572086

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