Integrated Social and Pediatric Care Approaches Supporting Adolescents Facing Cyberbullying, Anxiety, and Academic Challenges Within Schools

Abstract

Cyberbullying is a serious public health problem that harms the mental health, social well-being and academic performance of adolescents. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of integrated social–pediatric care model for adolescents with social–pediatric issues related to cyber-bullying. 16 weeks prospective interventional study between 13 to 18 years of age was conducted among 250 adolescents after screening of 800 students across 10 secondary schools. The intervention was comprised of a pediatric evaluation, mental health counseling, social service support, family engagement, and academic mentoring. Anxiety, school performance, school connectedness, and social resilience were measured at the start and end of intervention. Mean anxiety scores decreased from 14.2±3.1 to 8.6±2.7, representing a 39.4% reduction (p<0.001). Academic performance improved from 64.8%±8.5 to 76.9%±7.2 (18.7% increase; p<0.001). School connectedness increased from 2.7±0.6 to 3.9±0.5, while social resilience improved from 48.5±9.3 to 68.7±8.4 (p<0.001). The results of this study provide evidence that holistic SPC can support the psychological health and well-being, social resilience and educational outcomes of cyberbullying-exposed youth.