International
Finnish and UK scientists say it may be possible for adolescents to transmit mental disorders to their schoolmates, although it's not clear how or why it might happen. They looked at data on more than 700,000 Finnish people and found those who had schoolmates with a mental disorder in the ninth grade were more likely to develop a mental disorder themselves later on, even when other factors such as their parents, their school, and the area they lived in were taken into account. The increased risk of developing a mental disorder was highest in the first year after a classmate's diagnosis, they say, with a 9% increased risk from one diagnosed classmate, and an 18% increased risk from more than one diagnosed classmate. After the first year, there was no increased risk from having one diagnosed classmate, but a 5% increased risk from having more than one. The risk was greatest for mood, anxiety, and eating disorders, they say, but it's not clear how or why mental disorders would transmit between classmates in this way.
From:
Transmission of Mental Disorders in Adolescent Peer Networks
About The Study: The findings of this study suggest that mental disorders might be transmitted within adolescent peer networks. More research is required to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the possible transmission of mental disorders.
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