DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY 31:574–582 (2014) Research Article PEER VICTIMIZATION DURING ADOLESCENCE AND RISK FOR ANXIETY DISORDERS IN ADULTHOOD: A PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY

Background: Peer victimization is ubiquitous across schools and cultures, and has been suggested as one developmental pathway to anxiety disorders. However, there is a dearth of prospective studies examining this relationship. The purpose of this cohort study was to examine the association between peer victimization dur-ing adolescence and subsequent anxiety diagnoses in adulthood. A secondary aim was to investigate whether victimization increases risk for severe anxiety presen-tations involving diagnostic comorbidity. Methods:The sample comprised 6,208 adolescents from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children who were interviewed about experiences of peer victimization at age 13. Maternal report of her child’s victimization was also assessed. Anxiety disorders at age 18 were assessed with the Clinical Interview Schedule–Revised. Multivariable logistic re-gression was used to examine the association between victimization and anxiety diagnoses adjusted for potentially confounding individual and family factors. Sensitivity analyses explored whether the association was independent of diag-nostic comorbidity with depression. Results: Frequently victimized adolescent