いじめを受けた経験が、思春期の心の不調につながるメカニズムの一端を解明 ―「終末糖化産物(AGEs)」が関与している可能性 ―

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2026-03-04 東京都医学総合研究所

国立精神・神経医療研究センターなどの研究グループは、大規模コホート研究「東京ティーンコホート(TTC)」のデータを用い、思春期にいじめを受けた経験が後の精神症状につながる生物学的メカニズムの一端を明らかにした。解析では、12歳時点のいじめ被害、14歳時点の尿中ペントシジン濃度、16歳時点の抑うつ症状や精神病体験の関連を検証した。その結果、いじめ被害を経験した子どもでは糖化ストレス指標であるペントシジン濃度が高く、その上昇が抑うつ症状や精神病体験の増加と関連することが判明した。因果媒介分析では、いじめと精神症状の関連のうち抑うつ症状で約19%、精神病体験で約28%がペントシジンを介して説明される可能性が示された。本研究は、社会的ストレスが生物学的変化を通じて精神的不調に影響する可能性を示し、思春期のメンタルヘルス予防に貢献すると期待される。

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いじめと精神病体験および青少年の抑うつ症状を結びつける媒介因子としての糖化の検討 Examining glycation as a mediator linking bullying to psychotic experience and depressive symptom in adolescents

Mitsuhiro Miyashita,Zui C. Narita,Jordan Devylder,Syudo Yamasaki,Shuntaro Ando,Kazuya Toriumi,Satoshi Yamaguchi,Miharu Nakanishi,Mariko Hosozawa,Shinsuke Koike,Kazuhiro Suzuki,Kaori Baba,Junko Niimura,Naomi Nakajima,Deidre M. Anglin,Gemma Knowles,Craig Morgan,Marcus Richards,Mariko Hiraiwa-Hasegawa,Toshi A. Furukawa,Kiyoto Kasai,Atsushi Nishida & Makoto Arai
Molecular Psychiatry  Published:27 February 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-026-03521-7

いじめを受けた経験が、思春期の心の不調につながるメカニズムの一端を解明 ―「終末糖化産物(AGEs)」が関与している可能性 ―

Abstract

Bullying is a critical social stressor with long-lasting adverse impacts on mental health throughout life. Identifying biological mediators between bullying and subsequent mental health problems could help mitigate the long-term negative impact of bullying. However, such biological mediators have yet to be identified. This study assessed the mediating role of pentosidine, a representative glycation biomarker (i.e., pro-inflammatory aging compounds), between bullying and mental health problems among adolescents. This prospective, population-based cohort study (Tokyo Teen Cohort) included 3,158 participants. Causal mediation analysis was performed to test whether pentosidine at age 14 mediates the association between bullying at age 12 and subsequent mental health problems including psychotic experiences and depressive symptoms at age 16. Among the 3,158 adolescents aged 12 years (female, 46.9%), 473 (15.0%) were classified as being bullied. Bullying was associated with higher pentosidine levels (adjusted β [95% confidence interval], 0.27 [0.14–0.41]: P < 0.001) at age 14, and pentosidine at age 14 was associated with psychotic experiences (adjusted β [95% confidence interval], 0.02 [0.001–0.03]: P < 0.01) and depressive symptoms (adjusted β [95% confidence interval], 0.21 [0.09–0.32]; P < 0.001) at age 16. Pentosidine mediated 28.0% and 19.2% of the association between bullying and psychotic experiences and depressive symptoms, respectively. The mediating role of pentosidine was consistent across sexes. Higher levels of pentosidine possibly caused by bullying suggest that accelerated aging may begin from adolescence partly due to social stress. Future research should explore whether reducing pentosidine mitigates the adverse impact of bullying on subsequent mental health problems.

医療・健康
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